I was privileged to be a member of the Bill Committee. I started the Committee as a supporter of this legislation, and I rise to speak now as an equally strong supporter of it.

Many of my constituents in Dartford are also extremely strong supporters of change. Their town is regularly paralysed by overspill traffic from the overloaded Dartford crossing. That has been an issue for decades. The need for a new crossing was first suggested as long ago as the 1980s, yet despite a route having been agreed in 2017, development consent was granted only this year. Hundreds of millions have been spent on the process so far. I strongly support the measures to streamline the NSIP regime and give more certainty on large and much-needed projects such as the lower Thames crossing, mentioned by my hon. Friend Chris Curtis. This Bill will make changes to dramatically improve the situation, and that fact must not be lost as we debate the amendments today.

I want to speak briefly to three of the new clauses that I feel strongly about, covering net zero, sustainability and the social content of new development. A number of proposals have been tabled—including new Clause 73 by my hon. Friend Barry Gardiner and others—on the issue of swift bricks. That is another issue that was discussed at some length in Committee, and Members across the House recognise that we must do more to support vital species such as swifts. I welcome the steps that have already been taken by the house building industry on this issue, with a voluntary standard signed up to by 28 home builders, accounting for 100,000 homes a year, committing to a bird nesting brick or box being installed for every new home built, as well as hedgehog highways as standard for every new development. I hope that Ministers will monitor the effectiveness of this voluntary measure and look at what further steps might be taken in future.

I also support the sentiment in new clause 2, tabled by Gideon Amos, that would require new homes to be built to a net zero carbon building standard and include provision for the generation of solar power. I hope, however, that he will welcome the announcement by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero on Friday that the future homes standard, when published later this year, will require all new homes, with a small number of exceptions, to include solar panels. Not everything we want to see happen needs to be included on the face of the Bill.

I want to finish by speaking in favour of new clause 82, tabled by my hon. Friend Tom Hayes. This would require local authorities to assess local play provision and to take reasonable steps to improve play sufficiency. As other Members have mentioned, hundreds of playgrounds have been lost over the past decade and a half. Speak to any young parent and they will tell you the value of play, especially outdoor play, where their children can meet and play safely with other young children. I hope that Ministers will see the strength of feeling on this issue and, whether they accept this new clause or not, do more to help create spaces to play for families across the country. Notwithstanding the amendments and new clauses that have been discussed tonight, I am proud to have helped move this vital piece of legislation nearer the statute book, and I look forward to the Bill helping to get Britain building again.