Member

I thank noble Lords for their interventions on agent of change and appreciate the arguments made once again on this topic by the noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh, the noble Lord, Lord Freyberg, the noble Earl, Lord Clancarty, and my noble friend Lord Brennan. However, I remain convinced that a policy-led approach is the most effective means of addressing the challenges that have arisen in the application of the agent of change principle. Authorities are legally required to have regard to national policy when preparing statutory development plans, which form the basis for decision-making. The evidence does not clearly demonstrate that a statutory approach in Scotland has delivered materially better outcomes on the ground. Legislation can be inflexible and difficult to adapt. It would also cut across our wider reforms to streamline the planning and consenting process.