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Greater London Authority Bill

My Lords, I am concerned that requiring the Mayor to seek the Assembly’s advice before issuing a direction would add unwarranted delay to the planning process. New arrangements are being introduced to improve delivery, particularly of housing, and to speed up the planning process without adding undue complexity—an objective that I believe we all share. The new clause would undermine those objectives. The Mayor is the decision-maker, and we should not confuse this with the committee system in local authorities. Assembly Members can take part in the thorough consultation process which applications now undergo. It is absolutely right that they are also able to scrutinise the Mayor’s decisions, but it is not appropriate for them to be consulted in the way suggested in this amendment.