Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [HL]

I hope that this group will take a bit less time. I shall also speak to Amendments 168B and 177C in the same group. Amendment 166ZC is intended to probe the difference in the wording between the original Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and that which now appears in the Bill. Clause 65(3) states: "““In subsection (2)(a) and (b) references to the region include any part of the region””." The legislation that it is more or less re-enacting, Clause 1(3) of the 2004 Act, says: "““In subsection (2) the references to a region include references to any area within a region which includes the area or part of the area of more than one local planning authority””." I do not understand the reason for the change and what practical effect it might have. I think that there is a more general point, which will perhaps stop me saying more today. A great deal of Part 1 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act is being re-enacted in Part 5 of the Bill, but there are quite a few changes. It would be helpful if those changes could be listed and explanations given for why they are taking place. It is only five years since we struggled over that Act, and if changes are now necessary we need to know why the wording has changed. Words matter in legislation. Amendment 168B refers to a national park that crosses two or more regions. As it stands, the Bill says in effect that the Secretary of State may allocate that national park to one region. The amendment is probing to find out if that would be the normal case. I have been trying to think of national parks that will cross regional boundaries. The North York Moors probably does, and certainly the Peak District will; it will probably be in four different regions. If that is the case, it is not clear to me why the national park, which is such an important area, should not have a toe in the water in each of those regions and why it should have to be allocated to one of them, on whatever basis. If national parks are important, as they are, and part of a park is in a region, it ought to be part and parcel of the system for producing the regional plan in that region. Amendment 177C probes what that little bit of the Bill means. I beg to move.