Planning and Infrastructure Bill - Commons Reasons and Amendments – in the House of Lords at 5:45 pm on 24 November 2025.
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering:
Moved by Baroness McIntosh of Pickering
Leave out from “House” to end and insert “do insist on its Amendment 32.”
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering
Conservative
The noble Baroness, Lady Pinnock, expressed concern, in that non-hazardous reservoirs are specifically small reservoirs. Can the Minister write to me on this point? I understand that we still need legislation. This evening would be the opportunity to explain the de minimis rules and how non-hazardous small reservoirs can be built on farms—something that farmers are hoping will happen now. I regret that there is probably not enough support in the House to put the Motion to a vote this evening, but I will return to this issue another time, because I do not believe we have seen any evidence of urgency. I thank the Minister for the concessions she has given, but I do not believe there is the sense of urgency that farmers are crying out for.
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government), Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
6:00,
24 November 2025
I can reassure the noble Baroness that we propose to introduce a new hazard classification system with four hazard classes. The assessment of hazard class would take into account dam height, reservoir volume and likely numbers of people downstream. Safety management practices would be tailored to each hazard class so that the lowest hazard class would have minimum requirements—less than the current ones, which I hope is reassuring to her—and the highest hazard class would have more than the current requirements. I hope it is reassuring that we want to make this easier for farmers, not harder.
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering
Conservative
When is that classification coming in?
Baroness Taylor of Stevenage
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government), Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I shall write to the noble Baroness on that point.
Motion E1 withdrawn.
Motion E agreed.
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As a bill passes through Parliament, MPs and peers may suggest amendments - or changes - which they believe will improve the quality of the legislation.
Many hundreds of amendments are proposed by members to major bills as they pass through committee stage, report stage and third reading in both Houses of Parliament.
In the end only a handful of amendments will be incorporated into any bill.
The Speaker - or the chairman in the case of standing committees - has the power to select which amendments should be debated.
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