Speeches by Amos.

“Dr Huq, I do not know whether I get the opportunity to sum up, so I have jumped in with an intervention. Could the Minister clarify the circumstances in which an individual unitary authority—perhaps a unitary county such as Somerset, or Oxfordshire, if it becomes a unitary county—would be required to, on its own, prepa…”

“I am grateful to the Minister for that clarification, and he has my respect for bringing strategic planning back into the system. I know he has worked on that for a number of years; some of us have also worked on regional planning for a number of years and can remember the regional spatial strategy processes—in fact, t…”

“I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”

“I rise to speak to new clause 104, which relates to green belt protection. We recognise that the Government’s proposals are set out in the national planning policy framework. We do not support the way in which the standard method is being imposed on local authorities, nor do we support the way in which green belt relea…”

“I rise to speak in support of amendment 13, which would require that the conservation measures undertaken within environmental delivery plans should significantly protect environmental features. It is one of a number of similar amendments that I will not speak to at length. Together, they would strengthen the thrust an…”

“We are concerned about this issue. Our set of amendments in these areas is small; they are in the spirit of the Bill and of what the Government want to do with environmental delivery plans. They are designed to provide the strengthening that environmental groups are calling for clearly and strongly. We will not push th…”

“I am sure we can hardly contain our excitement about moving on to another clause. Amendment 12 would require that conservation measures undertaken within environmental development plans should “significantly” protect environmental features. Clause 48 is definitional, introducing the concept of environmental delivery pl…”

“I beg to move amendment 12, in clause 48, page 83, line 2, after “to” insert “significantly”. This amendment would require that conservation measures undertaken within Environmental Delivery Plans (EDP) should significantly protect environmental features.”

“I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 47 ordered to stand part of the Bill. Schedule 3 Section 47: minor and consequential amendments Amendment made: 48, in schedule 3, page 146, line 4, at end insert— “Habitats Regulations 11A (1) Regulation 111 of the Habitats Regulation…”

“The Committee will be delighted to hear that I will be extremely brief on this topic. Simply put, there is no provision for how often a spatial development strategy should be reviewed, and our amendment proposes that it be done annually. It may be that annually is not be the appropriate timeframe, but there should be r…”

“I beg to move amendment 124, in clause 47, page 74, line 10, leave out “from time to time” and insert “annually”.”

“We wish to press the amendment to a vote, because we believe in the right to be heard and, in general, we are highly concerned about the potential erosion of the democratic planning system by the Bill. Question put, That the amendment be made.”

“I beg to move amendment 21, in clause 47, page 62, leave out from line 32 to line 2 on page 63. This relates to amendment 22. This amendment would remove the requirement for unitary authorities to prepare spatial development strategies.”

“It is a pleasure to serve with you in the Chair, Dr Huq—although I was not sure how much of a pleasure until you introduced the sitting in the way that you did. Amendments 21 and 22 would remove the requirement on unitary authorities to prepare spatial development strategies, simply based on the resources that unitary …”

“indicated assent.”

“I am grateful to the Minister for correcting me on that point. He is absolutely right that there is a provision stating that consultation responses must be taken into account, but there is no duty to consult and no requirement, and it is the same for community involvement. In fact, the Bill explicitly states that there…”

“I beg to move amendment 120, in clause 47, page 70, leave out line 40 and insert— “(5) A strategic planning authority must prepare and consult on a statement of community involvement which provides for persons affected by the strategy to have a right to be heard at an examination.” I want to discuss participation in an…”

“I rise to speak to amendments 90 and 91—hon. Members will be pleased to hear that I will be brief. We have significant concerns about community involvement in consultation and about many of the points that have just been made. I have more to say on all that for the next group, in which we have tabled an amendment to ma…”

“I very much sympathise with the amendment. Indeed, I have air quality management areas in my constituency of Taunton and Wellington, including two that breach the lawful limits of air pollution. We desperately need the bypass for Thornfalcon and Henlade, which would solve that particular issue. In brief, I feel that th…”

“I rise to support amendment 1 and speak to amendment 30, which my hon. Friend the Member for Didcot and Wantage will talk about, and amendment 28, in my name, which relates to local wildlife sites. Amendment 28 would require spatial development strategies to take account of local wildlife sites and include policies tha…”