Planning Bill

I have been impressed by how the Government have developed the thinking and the debate on this area of the Bill. Clearly some issues remain—the fact that I have tabled four amendments in this group indicates that I would like to take some matters further. I have read the Commons Hansard and learnt what has happened behind the scenes—not just who does it but how it is done—and the Government’s thoughtfulness has impressed me, even if I do not necessarily share their conclusions. The issues in this group fall into two distinct parts. One concerns the scrutiny of the proposed policy statement. I tabled an amendment proposing that it should be scrutinised by a Joint Committee of both Houses, in which case there would need to be discussions with the other end. Impressed though I have been, it is a pity that discussions at the other end have continued apace without, as far as I can discern, any reference back to this House. Not to involve Members of this House is both daft and wrong. It is daft because of the expertise and the time that some Members here could devote to this matter; it is wrong because we are a part of Parliament. To get the scrutiny right is almost more important than the final vote, as it gives the opportunity for detailed consideration of very complex issues. When we come to vote on a proposed NPS, we will inevitably polarise and tend to simplify some of the arguments, because we will have one vote. I know that I am affected—some might say infected—by eight years of doing a scrutiny job, but I believe that it is important for that process to be as good as possible. There are issues of capacity; Parliament needs a variety of mechanisms, and this is a part of the consultation. It is not a passive process, as my noble friend said in an earlier debate. I guess that we will be told that it is a continuous and iterative process, but the sequence is important. If there are issues of locations, one can see the enormous controversy that there could be and the possible risk of legal challenge if the consultation is not carried out correctly. Any committee will probably have huge numbers of representations and requests to be heard, which is why I would like to see Members of this House involved. On the final vote, I cannot imagine explaining to the many millions of people who are concerned about the development of Heathrow that this House has no role in shaping the final formal policy statement. It seems completely counterintuitive. I understand the concerns that the Minister will have about not setting the two Houses against each other, which is why getting the scrutiny right is particularly important. However, we cannot forget about the politics, because the NPSs are political statements. The noble Lord, Lord Jenkin, is absolutely right to direct us to the final approval.