Speeches by Reader.

“I am sure that my hon. Friend has considered the results of the Corry review, which recognises that we have such complex nature legislation in the UK that it makes it incredibly difficult to build. Does he agree that Lords amendment 40 makes it even more complicated for people to build the homes that we desperately nee…”

“I did think that the hon. Member for North Herefordshire (Dr Chowns) was about to slip up in her round-up and say, “Build, baby, build”—we almost had her there. Every single week at my constituency surgeries, people come and talk to me about housing shortages, whether it is people living in overcrowded or temporary acc…”

“I take the point. The intention behind amendment 40 is well meant: there are situations, as my hon. Friend has said, in which EDPs will not be needed and there are other ways to deal with those situations through existing legislation. Having such a finite definition in the two lines of the amendment, which people have …”

“My hon. Friend could not be more right. Part of why we set up the cross-party Representative Planning Group was to create an opportunity to bring forward legislation that ensures that all voices are heard in the housing debate, not just the loudest and angriest and those with lots of spare time on their hands. I am sur…”

“The hon. Lady is completely right that there are lots of empty homes. I am sure that there must have been some amendments tabled by the Greens that I have missed, and that they have been constructive and worked with Government to address that issue through the Bill. Working cross-party is what I have always tried to do…”

“Can you give us an example of how the new NPPF does that?”

“Good afternoon, all three of you. I am going to ask questions around planning. We have already had some evidence sessions and have heard that there are some challenges in the process. I would like your views on the NPPF, and whether it hinders or facilitates the planning application process. I am going to start with yo…”

“We have heard that there are many groups looking to do community energy and it is a big part of Clean Power 2030. Does that network of knowledge sharing already exist? Given that we are only a few years away from needing to meet the clean power target, why do you think that people are still scrambling around to underst…”

“If the changes do not happen, will the Government hit their target?”

“It is not in this term of Parliament.”

“Yes, it would need primary legislation, so we are not talking about an overnight thing. It may take a couple of years.”

“You say there must be change in the law. Is that a quick process or is that something that must go through a lengthy process?”

“I can speak for an area that has gone through reorganisation. It took two or three years for the council to re-establish after it was bankrupted in 2021. Could that cause a bit of a delay in certain areas where we have reorganisation?”

“Is that a lengthy process?”

“Would a new unitary have to create a local area energy plan?”

“I am just going to jump in. Robbie, you mentioned local plans there. I want to focus specifically on the layering of plans here in planning. We have local government reorganisation, which will happen in the next few years, which I understand means that local plans will have to be redone within the new unitary council b…”

“Just help me here. Let’s say an area is on the pilot scheme for devolution. Hampshire is one, isn’t it? Hampshire and the Solent, or whatever it is called. I sat on the devolution Bill, and you would not believe how long we discussed whether the area is Hampshire and the Solent or Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. They …”

“I am just trying to understand. Do you have any projects that will be generating in your plan?”

“Will you be generating at some point, or is it just a planning project?”

“Eleanor, did you say your project is not currently generating? When did you start working on the project? It says here that you started working with communities in 2020. Is that the project you are talking about?”