Government strengthens Parliamentary scrutiny of new planning regime

The Government's Planning Bill has seen off a backbench rebellion over proposals to speed up decisions on big infrastructure projects such as power stations and airports.

Ministers tabled amendments to improve Parliamentary scrutiny of the proposed Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), an independent body made up of experts from the community, local government, planning and environment fields, which will make decisions within a framework of legal duties set by Parliament and by Government policy.

Crucially, the administration has said the new arrangements will be reviewed in two years' time and if there are problems ministers will give themselves the power to extend their grounds for intervention to determine particular schemes which would otherwise be left to the IPC.

The Bill has now completed its detailed examination in the Commons and is on the way to the Lords.

As well as the commission, the legislation will require the Government to draw up a suite of National Policy Statements which will be considered by parliament before the IPC determines specific projects covered by the relevant NPS.

Under new amendments to the Bill just agreed the NPSs for nuclear power and aviation will be locationally specific.

As part of these reforms Parliament is expected to establish a new select committee to 'police' the arrangements.

As a result of changes to the Bill such a committee will scrutinise not only the appointment of the commission chair but now the vice-chairs as well.

In addition ministers have decided that the relevant Commons Select Committees will be able to call the chair of the IPC before them to explain, not just the overall performance of the organisation, but particular aspects of decisions.

Communities secretary Hazel Blears told MPs that these changes would "ensure that if this system is not working, ministers have a safety valve to widen the basis on which they can take decisions in future. That is a significant addition to the Bill and this is a very strong package of measures that, taken together, will strengthen democratic accountability".

Other amendments mean that the IPC will be expressly required to consider the views of local authorities when determining specific schemes.

Opposition parties have opposed the plans for the creation of a commission which will make decisions on projects currently handled by ministers.

Conservative shadow communities secretary Jacqui Lait MP made it clear that if her party wins the next election it will abolish the new body.

"We will review the IPC out of existence... anyone who takes up a contract to be a commissioner will have a very short contract," she told the Commons.

She also warned that the Government's proposed new planning system would face legal challenges.

Read the debate report in Commons Hansard (25 June, column 319)

Roger Milne

26 June 2008