Clause 6 - RSS: Secretary of State's functions
Planning and Compulsory Purchase (Re-committed) Bill
6:30 pm
Mr Matthew Green (Ludlow, Liberal Democrat)
One frustration with the debate arose when the Minister read from draft PPS11. He said:
''There is a strong presumption that an examination-in-public will be held and it is only in exceptional circumstances of a minor revision and subject to the criteria set out in clause 6(4) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill that the Secretary of State may decide an examination is unnecessary.''
If the Minister had responded to the debate immediately and reassured us with that significant and strong statement, which would have been on the record, many of the interventions would have been unnecessary. It is frustrating, although only a minor gripe, that in PPS11, the statement is not under the heading of ''The Examination-in-Public'', which is what we are talking about, but towards the end of the section headed ''Submission of the Draft Revision to the Secretary of State''. If I had known that, I could have avoided tabling the amendments.
With that statement, more than anything else that he said, the Minister has reassured me that the system will work in that there will be examinations in public in all but the most exceptional circumstances. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Amendment made: No. 75, in
clause 6, page 4, line 19, leave out
'to which there was any'
and insert 'and nature of the'.—[Keith Hill.]
The Chairman, being of the opinion that the principle of the clause and any matters arising thereon had been adequately discussed in the course of the debate on the amendments proposed thereto, forthwith put the Question, pursuant to Standing Orders Nos. 68 and 89, That the clause, as amended, stand part of the Bill.
Question agreed to.
Clause 6, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.