Member

I cannot support the noble Lord’s Amendment 65. It proposes to establish a critical national development task force. Since coming into office, this Government have established a vast array of new public bodies, quangos, reviews, action plans, strategies and task forces. None has delivered meaningful results. Rather than simply offload crucial decisions that should be undertaken by Ministers to other bodies, the Secretary of State does not need to establish yet another task force to advise. Such a scenario would lead only to more deliberation and delay, where this Bill is intended to speed up the planning process. This amendment is therefore neither necessary nor appropriate.