Commons Bill [HL]

My Lords, the amendment would change the formulation in Amendment No. 86 so that regulations would specify the timetable. We understand the aim of the amendment, which reflects points made by the noble Lord and others in Grand Committee, but I will simply reiterate what was said by my noble friend Lord Bach. Currently, there is no formal timetable for determining applications under Section 194 of the Law of Property Act 1925 which the new Part 3 consent regime will replace. A key determinant of actual time taken is the time third parties take to respond when we ask for information, such as details missing from the application. It is not simply a matter of how long it takes the national authority’s part of the process to be completed. Equally, an important part of each application is consultation with other parties, which does take time. We need to allow a reasonable period for comment. People with a potential interest may be busy—they could be commoners lambing or local residents busy at work, as well as other reasons. However, we accept that at times the process can become unduly protracted. We will streamline it and ensure that it is proportionate to the potential impact of the proposed works to drive down the length of time it typically takes to secure consent. We will consult in detail about how best to achieve this. We are cautious about adopting fixed timetables, but if we decide that it is appropriate for regulations to use this approach, that is already possible under the provisions of Clause 40(2). This response is meant to be reassuring to the noble Lord, while at the same time not being overly prescriptive.