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Planning (Application to the Houses of Parliament) Order 2006

My Lords, I thank the Minister very much for bringing this order to the House. It is probably one of the most fascinating that we have had for a very long time, and one of those about which I have least to say. It is of enormous interest and historical importance. The Minister says that in the past the House authorities have co-operated with Westminster City Council but that was on a voluntary basis. I would like the noble Baroness to clear up two points. First, will the relationship between this House and English Heritage become formal as well as informal—presumably, people will always ask English Heritage for its views—with the heritage aspect of planning applications? My second point relates to the position of the Minister for planning or, indeed, the Secretary of State. He or she has the right of appeal. If the House were in the extraordinary position of trying to do something of which Westminster City Council did not approve, the planning committee turned down the application, and the House appealed, as it would be entitled to do, would there not be a conflict of interest regarding that decision? It is a mini-conundrum, and I hope it will never happen, but it is not completely impossible. We debated the planning Act at length; this matter was left for secondary legislation. It has been extremely well described, and I cannot add anything more to what the Minister has said.