Clause 1
Planning
4:29 pm
John Healey (Minister of State (Local Government), Department for Communities and Local Government; Wentworth, Labour)
I will give way in a moment, as I want to finish my remarks. In spite of our discussions, Friends of the Earth have not fully considered or perhaps even understood what opportunities there will be for public views and concerns to be heard within the process, or how the Bill strengthens and protects the right to be heard. Secondly, I do not accept Friends of the Earth’s contention that the Bill will necessarily lead to more direct action against the process for which we are legislating, although that organisation and other groups and interests may object to particular applications and they may demonstrate against them.