Ministers allocate more time to debate proposed commission

The Government's plans for a new planning regime for major infrastructure schemes will be discussed further after ministers decided to devote more Parliamentary time to the final Commons stages of the Planning Bill.

Ministers decided to give more time to a number of important issues that have been raised about the process of the legislation and concerns about the amount of detail on how it will be implemented.

The Government is aiming to use this window to address these issues without compromising the overall proposals in the Bill and are aiming to bring the Bill back to the House shortly so that it can complete its Report stage.

The Planning Bill - in which the Independent Infrastructure Commission plays a key role - will mean, according to the Government, that decisions on vital new infrastructure can be reached quickly and efficiently and it will be easier for individuals and communities to get involved.

But considering the complexity of the legislation, which introduces an entirely new planning system for a range of major infrastructure projects, replacing eight different existing infrastructure consent regimes, the Government has acknowledged it needs to get it right and address any concerns.

The Bill contains measures designed to create a single system for handling big projects like airports, power stations and motorways with the Government setting out the case for the schemes needed in a series of national policy statements.

Paul Truswell, a backbench Labour MP, warned ministers of "a tremendous amount of concern amongst backbench Labour members about key aspects of the Bill, not least those relating to the role, status and powers of the Infrastructure Planning Commission".

When the Bill was considered in the Commons on 2 June, MPs from all parties voiced concern about the number of changes to the Bill under consideration – 28 new clauses, six new schedules and 218 amendments – many of the changes tabled by the Government.

Although many of the changes are technical (including revisions to the thresholds for highways, railways and airport developments), ministers have tabled a number of key amendments.

Under these Parliament would be given a stronger scrutiny role in respect of consultation on draft National Policy Statements. Ministers are promising to publish a detailed response to issues raised before finalising policy in the statements as well as proposing that the appointment of the chair of the IPC should be scrutinised by MPs.

Local government minister John Healey said that the allocation of time for debate was designed to "help not hide" discussion.

He said there was "broad support on all sides of the House" for the Government's aim to establish a speedier and one-stop regime for major schemes.

During Monday's Commons debate some 24 Labour MPs defied the whips and voted for an unsuccessful opposition amendment which would have explicitly required national policy statements to take climate change issues into account in respect of new projects like roads, airports and power stations.

Read the Commons Hansard record (2 June 2008, column 498)

Roger Milne

5 June 2008