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Planning Bill

My Lords, I tabled similar amendments at the previous stage. I support the amendments in this group in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Best. Indeed, my name is added to them. In Committee, we discussed the duties of partners. The noble Baroness, Lady Andrews, said: "““At a time when we are trying to reduce the burdens on local authorities and business, we are trying to avoid imposing such a wide-ranging obligation on partner authorities””.—[Official Report, 23/10/08; col. 1290.]" I am not sure to what extent that sentence stands up to analysis because the point of the information amendment is to assist local authorities, which will have a greater burden if they are not able easily to get information. In any event, I do not think that, in the balance of things, putting an obligation on partner authorities comprises such a burden as was suggested. We know that the Government think that lists should be resisted. In Committee, the noble Lord, Lord Patel, said: "““Removing the list risks a narrow interpretation, so limiting the choice of infrastructure that local authorities may use CIL to fund””.—[Official Report, 23/10/08; col. 1330.]" I suggest that the opposite is the case. As the noble Lord, Lord Best, said, it is important to get this matter right and for it to be as wide as possible.