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Planning Bill

My Amendment No. 164 is grouped with Amendment No. 163. It was really prompted by curiosity and by the drafting of Clause 34, which is quite interesting. Clause 34(1) says: "““This section applies if … an application for a consent … in relation to development””." Paragraph (b) starts with the words ““the development is”” and paragraph (c) says ““the development will””. Then paragraph (d), for some reason, states, "““the Secretary of State thinks that the project is of national significance””." I fail to understand why paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) refer to ““development””, then, suddenly, the Secretary of State is thinking about a ““project””. There may be a rational reason for that, but I admit that I had some difficulty in thinking what it could be. I thought that the only way to find out what was in the Secretary of State’s mind was to invite the Minister to say why ““project”” is used when the rest of Clause 34(1) refers to ““development””.