Speeches by Pennycook.

“They are set out clearly in the Bill. You will have noted the very specific amendment on the overall improvement test that we made in the package released last week to insert the word “materially”, so the conservation measures must be materially significant. The overall improvement test is a test that the Secretary of …”

“I will take your question in two parts. It is worth saying that the impact assessment is a proportionate assessment of the impacts of part 3 and other parts of the Bill from readily available data. There is limited data in this area, but although we would love to have more, there is enough. Nutrient neutrality is used …”

“I will do, Chair, and I also remind the Committee that we made fairly significant changes to part 3 of the Bill during the Bill Committee, before it came back for Report stage. In terms of the package of amendments that we tabled late last week, they came about on the basis of having reflected on the OEP’s advice, as I…”

“It is probably worth the Committee being aware that in opposition, when I had the shadow housing and planning brief, we were encouraged by a number of external stakeholders to take forward a comprehensive national spatial plan. One of the proposals, for example, was that we should establish a royal commission to do so.…”

“I think it is probably useful to add to and emphasise what Minister Creagh said about the land use framework and similarly spatial development strategies not allocating sites. It is for local development plans to allocate specific sites. What the land use framework very helpfully does, in the same way as many of these …”

“I will answer that question specifically, and in doing so, I will refute—I have to put it as bluntly as that—your characterisation of my remarks on Report stage of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. I made very clear that we were wedded to taking forward the approach that is in the Bill, but throughout the Commons s…”

“If I could respond to your point afterwards—”

“We have always been clear, and I have made this argument throughout all the stages of the Bill, that we should not see nature as a blocker to development—although it is a barrier; let me touch on that in one second—and that we can achieve a win-win for both development and the environment if we approach things in a dif…”

“In very general terms, a series of factors are constraining house building across the country. We inherited a planning system that was faltering on all fronts. It was failing to deliver the outcomes that many communities want to see in terms of infrastructure that is of quality, good design and sustainable, and the inf…”

“I am Matthew Pennycook, the Minister for Housing and Planning.”

“I beg to move, That the Committee has considered the draft Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) (Amendment) (Extension to the Social Rented Sector) Regulations 2025.”

“I thank the shadow Minister for his broad support for the regulations and their intention, and for his questions. Again, before I address his specific points, I express my gratitude to Awaab’s family for their tireless campaigning in reaching this point—and, it should be said, to all the organisations and campaigners t…”

“It would not be a debate of any kind with my hon. Friend present were he not to take the opportunity to get Harlow on the record. He is a doughty champion for his constituency and I recognise the concern that he raises. The importance of these regulations is that requirements that already apply to the private rented se…”

“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Mr Vickers. Alongside our commitment to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable house building in a generation, the Government are determined to drive a transformational and lasting change in the safety and quality of social housing. By ensuring that ten…”

“What do I say to that question? It would be our intention to avoid making any announcements immediately before the recess. On the other hand, I have been pressed on several occasions during this Committee to get on with it. If there are sensible changes that we can bring forward when Parliament is sitting, rather than …”

“I would expect nothing less.”

“I would say generally, Chair, as you would expect, with a Government who are determined to fix our broken housing market, of course we are going to reflect on incidents such as this. You will see, for example, in the long-term housing strategy that is forthcoming, precisely the ways in which we want to address aspects …”

“Could I bring Jo and Will in on civil service involvement first?”

“There are probably two things to say here, and I will bring Will in on this point. We made significant changes to the NPPF last year. We are not going to revisit any of the key changes that we made then. There is an exercise in terms of bringing forward this new suite of national policies for decision making about thei…”

“If I understand what you are driving at, I think it is less whether they are able to apply into the funds and more inherent problems about land values and viability, which may be ruling out some of the specific projects people are applying for from accessing those funds. Each bid has to be taken as to whether it offers…”