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Planning-gain Supplement (Preparations) Bill

My Lords, as this is a paving Bill limited costs, related to the objectives that I identified, will be involved. Of course it is unusual, because we do not have many paving Bills, certainly not paving Bills that look forward to legislation several years away—we do not intend to introduce this legislation until 2009. Noble Lords indicated that this is a difficult policy to develop. There have been costly failures in the past. The present system does not work effectively and there is no return from public investment in development. All shades of opinion share that position. The problem is whether the Bill will work. Most critics have not been critical of the principle that underlies the Bill but do not think that the Bill will work. That is why we are acting with such caution. This Bill does not implement these issues. It is a cautious approach requiring a degree of preparation. That is why we have this paving Bill.