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Planning Bill

I have lit a fuse that has gone off all round the Committee. The anxieties about Clause 12 are very real and, with the greatest respect to the Minister, I am far from satisfied that she has answered all the queries. I heard what she said, for instance, about the aviation White Paper, but I am completely unclear as to what further processes the Government envisage if they intend to build on the aviation White Paper as the core of a new national policy statement. I was wise not to try to speak to all the amendments in this group because everyone who has spoken—and I am extremely grateful to all those who did—has raised considerable anxieties. I heard clearly what the noble Baroness said and I note that there is no temptation to cut corners and no question of bypassing the requirements of the Bill, but I am not at all clear, from what she said, how that is going to be achieved. The aviation White Paper is one example and a number of others were mentioned. I do not want to prolong the debate. This has turned out to be an important issue. We all support the concept of the national policy statements. We have a number of queries about the details and the procedure but I think that all parts of the Committee consider it a positive and encouraging step forward. I want to see the Bill on the statute book with that in it, but the suggestion that the Government can go back and rake over old policy statements and, as it were, tart them up so that they appear to comply with the requirements of the Bill is immensely worrying. The noble Baroness should not be surprised if a number of noble Lords in various parts of the Committee, having studied her remarks carefully—as I shall certainly do—will want to come back at a later stage to try to get greater clarity and, if necessary, perhaps strike Clause 12 from the Bill. But that is for the future. For now, of course, I am happy to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendments Nos. 43 to 55 not moved.] Clause 5 agreed to. Clause 6 [Review]: