Speeches by Pennycook.

“Again, that is a policy challenge without an easy answer. It is a very complex one. On the general point, the fact that large numbers of section 106 homes remain uncontracted and unsold is undoubtedly a challenge. We recognise that. It is a complex problem. We continue to refine our understanding of it. It is clear, an…”

“That is an overly simplistic solution that would have a range of unintended consequences. I would put it no more forcefully than that.”

“The investment cycle for that is out of line with the planning cycle and that is one of the challenges. That situation operates across the board. I make a general point that perhaps gives the Committee an insight into how we see that challenge fitting with the rest of the Government’s reform agenda. What is different b…”

“It is also worth saying that this is not just confined to the NHS. I understand that this challenge in individual honourable Members’ constituencies is very real, in terms of ensuring we get the right infrastructure and amenities up front in the development process to ensure we are building sustainable, thriving commun…”

“I will go back and look at RICS’s argument for it. It was introduced in the 2016 Act and successive Governments have not yet been convinced that it will not simply add complexity and bureaucracy into the system, as opposed to genuinely speeding it up. The challenges that the dispute resolution scheme was attempting to …”

“If I have understood the point you are driving at, it is a valid concern. In fact, I have a GP surgery on the Greenwich peninsula that fits this bill. Sometimes it is about the delivery of the infrastructure. Sometimes it is about other issues. For example, a GP practice might come forward in terms of the building bein…”

“It is probably worth saying the principal objectives, in my mind, to achieve the outcomes that we want to seek when it comes to strengthening the developer contribution system are twofold. First, it is to ensure that local authorities are in a position to negotiate more effectively with developers on those agreements. …”

“It is a good question. You tempt me to expand on precisely what we are looking at when it comes to strengthening the existing developer contribution system, which I am not in a position to do. I am more than happy to come back at the point that we set out proposals to talk through them.”

“We are considering a range of options when it comes to strengthening the existing developer contribution system. Of course we will engage with external organisations, including RICS, on all these issues.”

“This is purely from memory, but there is a dispute resolution scheme provision in the 2016 Act. I am dredging up my memory, having been on that Bill Committee many years ago. Successive Governments have not implemented that provision and there is a live debate, to the extent that we keep all these things under review, …”

“Do you mean specifically on 106?”

“That is a difficult question to answer, in the sense that it will depend on what the local authority in question and its neighbouring authorities see as their challenges or the gaps they need to overcome. Local authorities talk to each other all the time. If there is a need in a particular sub-region for them to be poo…”

“I will take those in two parts, and Jo and Will may want to come in as well. On whether new strategic planning authorities could take an advisory role, it is important to mention that planning guidance already makes clear that local planning authorities can pool resources and skills, and can contract third parties to s…”

“That is a really good question. This is a complex area of policy, but, essentially, we think that the existing system of developer contributions has a number of strengths, certainly when compared with the alternatives. It is one of the reasons we decided not to take forward the previous Government’s infrastructure levy…”

“It is a whole-of-Parliament commitment we are confident of delivering.”

“We have a 1.5 million whole-of-Parliament target.”

“It will not be blindly because there are statistical releases.”

“I will in bring Jo in a second, because Jo has been leading on the work on this, which is a cross-government initiative, working very closely with other Departments. I would say two things. Forgive me; I recall saying this at the previous evidence session in November. In terms of the series of barriers and constraints …”

“We have to retain some space for decision making within the Department.”

“I will have officials comment on this. You are essentially asking for the Government to make transparent their internal forecasts, which no Government have done in the past.”