Planning Bill
10:30 am
Witness
Tuesday 8th January
Until no later than 11.40 a.m.
Confederation of British Industry
Tuesday 8th January
Until no later than 12.20 p.m.
UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy
Tuesday 8th January
Until no later than 1.00 p.m.
UK Major Ports Group
Tuesday 8th January
Until no later than 4.50 p.m.
Royal Town Planning Institute
Tuesday 8th January
Until no later than 5.30 p.m.
Local Government Association
Tuesday 8th January
Until no later than 6.15 p.m.
Planning Inspectorate
Tuesday 8th January
Until no later than 7.00 p.m.
Home Builders Federation and British Property Federation
Thursday 10th January
Until no later than 9.45 a.m.
Friends of the Earth
Thursday 10th January
Until no later than 10.25 a.m
Environment Agency
Thursday 10th January
Until no later than 1.40 p.m.
Energy Networks Association
Thursday 10th January
Until no later than 2.20 p.m.
Campaign to Protect Rural England
Thursday 10th January
Until no later than 4.00 p.m.
Department for Communities and Local Government
(3) proceedings on consideration of the Bill in Committee shall be taken in the following order: Clause 1; Schedule 1; Clauses 2 to 31; Schedule 2; Clauses 32 to 157; Schedule 3; Clauses 158 and 159; Schedule 4; Clause 160; Schedule 5; Clauses 161 to 185; Schedule 6; Clauses 186 to 189; new Clauses; new Schedules; remaining proceedings on the Bill;
(4) the proceedings shall (so far as not previously concluded) be brought to a conclusion at 7.00 p.m. on Tuesday 5th February.
Sadly, Sir John, I was sitting at my computer watching e-mails pop up after 10 o’clock last night, and I saw the response of my right hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth to the Committee Clerk’s paper when it came back. Partly to reflect your encouragement, Sir John, and partly in response to my right hon. Friend, I will do my best as the Minister responsible for the Bill to ensure that Government papers, Government amendments and anything else that will assist the Committee are tabled and available in the best possible time.
I return to the welcome that I was offering you, Sir John, and your co-Chair, Mr. Illsley. Having had the privilege of serving under you both in Finance Bill Committees before, I look forward to the experience and guidance that you offer. As it is for you, Sir John, this is the first Committee that I have been involved with which takes evidence before the scrutiny sessions, and I look forward to that.
I welcome all members of the Committee. It is a Committee with a vast range of experience and a high level of interest on all sides. I welcome the hon. Member for Beckenham, who will lead for the official Opposition; and the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, who will lead for the Liberal Democrats. I also welcome the hon. Member for Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, who will lead from both the Front and Back Benches for Plaid Cymru. We look forward to seeing him on the Committee when he is able to join us.
The Programming Sub-Committee met on 13 December. It accepted without dissent the proposed programme set before us. It contains two main characteristics: it proposes that we consider the Bill in the order of the clauses in it, and that we consider, in our scrutiny sessions, the schedules alongside the clauses to which they are linked. In total, the programme motion proposes four separate evidence sessions and 14 scrutiny sittings. I am grateful to the usual channels for helping to get us to this position. It will give the Committee the scope to do its proper job of giving the Bill serious and important scrutiny over the 18 sittings. I hope that the Committee will support the programme motion and I look forward to the deliberations to come.