Member

Given the track record of this Government so far, after just over a year in power, I am deeply nervous. I understand the need for 1.5 million homes, or their manifesto promise to deliver that to the best of their ability, but we are seeing a bringing in of much greater control. At the same time, one of the things in the Growth and Infrastructure Act 2013 that was somewhat controversial at the time was that the Secretary of State could basically tell councils, “You’re not making your planning decisions in time—you’re not getting on with these things. If you don’t do it, the Secretary of State will make the decision”. When he was Secretary of State for MHCLG, my noble friend Lord Gove issued those threats to seven district councils, I think. They all had to produce a timetable of how they were going to get back on track, and they started to do so.