Member

Amendment 40 seeks to probe the Government on technical reasons for the proposed repeal of certain sections of the Localism Act 2011 and the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009. The Localism Act was designed to turn government upside-down, putting decision-making into the hands of those closest to the local issues. Pre-application consultation with local authorities, the publication of community consultation statements and provisions for claimants of compensation for the effects of development are all important. What are the arguments for replacing or removing these? As for the Marine and Coastal Access Act, before its introduction there was no unified system for managing different maritime activities, whether fishing, energy, shipping or conservation. We need to be cautious about repealing large sections of this Act without a clear replacement framework or a basic understanding of why. Can the Minister help on these issues?