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Planning Bill

I have put my name to the amendment. I was critical of the Minister at Second Reading and suggested that she was quite wrong to allow to come to this House a Bill containing a clause concerning a levy for which only the House of Commons would be allowed to discuss the regulations. Having ploughed through today’s proceedings, I am even more convinced that I was right in saying that the way in which this Bill has been presented is a disgrace. It quite contradicts Mr Healey, who said in the Commons that the Lords would be fully informed and, "““have the maximum information possible””.—[Official Report, Commons, Planning Bill Committee, 31/1/08; col. 632.]" The Bill as it stands is a quite deliberate attempt to stop this House debating the regulations and prevent us having the maximum information available. If that is how the Government wish to treat this House, let them firmly state that on the record.