Members may not be surprised to learn that, for a number of reasons, I am delighted that we are about to pass the Planning etc (Scotland) Bill. Its passage has been a long and sometimes arduous experience, but it has been worth the effort.

The Communities Committee went to great lengths to ensure that there was extensive consultation of all sections of Scottish society on the measures in the bill. That is particularly important because of the massive impact that planning law and regulations have on all aspects of Scottish life. The events that were held in the debating chamber allowed community groups to express their views on the bill and to share with committee members their experiences of current planning legislation. I am sure that the experience that was gained during that consultation exercise can be used in the passage of future legislation.

I do not have time to go into the detail of the bill. However, I am pleased that the Executive engaged positively with the committee and responded to some of the concerns that we expressed during stages 1 and 2. In particular, the front loading of the process, which is designed to ensure that communities are engaged with throughout the planning process—most importantly, from the start—will deliver better planning decisions. I also welcome the inclusion of the duty on ministers to ensure that sustainability is taken into account during drafting of the national planning framework. Such duties are now woven into the entire local and national planning process.

I certainly welcome the additional measures that have been introduced to ensure stronger enforcement of planning obligations on developers who fail to meet their obligations. Those enforcement powers, coupled with fixed-penalty notices and good-neighbour agreements, will provide an extensive range of tools that local authorities can use to deal with developers who, in the past, have ridden roughshod over communities. They will no longer be allowed to do that.

I take this opportunity to thank the committee's clerks: Steve Farrell and his team organised an excellent pre-legislative consultation process for the benefit of all committee members. They also spent many hours processing hundreds of stage 2 and stage 3 amendments. They were ably assisted by the legislation team, who provided much needed advice and expertise.

I thank the witnesses who came before the Communities Committee and gave us written and oral evidence. I thank all the people who helped to ensure that committee members had a complete picture of planning and of the impact of planning legislation in Scotland.

Finally, I thank the members of my committee. They were faced with a daunting challenge in scrutinising the Planning etc (Scotland) Bill. I believe that they met that challenge and that we can say, despite the fact that there was not always agreement, that all elements of the bill received a fair hearing.

I will welcome the passing of the Planning etc (Scotland) Bill today, although I am disappointed that the Greens intend to reject it. I respect their views on TPRA and the national planning framework, but when we can all agree that the planning system in Scotland needs to be modernised to protect some of our poorest communities, it is disappointing that the Greens will not be giving their support. Everyone in Parliament agrees that we need to modernise our planning system. I believe that the Planning etc (Scotland) Bill will deliver real and positive changes for all those who come into contact with the system, from individuals to communities and from planning authorities to developers. I look forward to implementation of the measures in the bill.