Speeches by Pennycook.

“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 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 …”

“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 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…”

“Can I press you on how it is substantially different, in your view, so that I can effectively answer your question?”

“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.”

“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…”

“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…”

“Do you want to comment specifically on our engagement with the sector in terms of coming forward with a joint vision for numbers?”

“I appreciate fully why you are trying, Chair, but I will not be drawn other than to say we expect the taskforce to submit its final report this summer. We expect it to submit its final report to the Department this summer.”

“We are keeping it under review, absolutely.”

“We are reflecting, and it is partly why I say that is the Government’s current position, but we are keeping that matter under review. We do want to, in general, incentivise local areas to want to see the new towns that Sir Michael and his taskforce suggest come forward, so we are keeping that position under review. I s…”

“I do like to reflect. Do you want a Minister who does not reflect?”

“That is what I just said. Our current position is that the homes delivered through the new towns programme will be over and above LHN. That is partly because many of these sites will not start building out until the later years of this Parliament. Some will not start building out in this Parliament at all. We are takin…”