Letter
to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government,
Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP, from the Chair of the Communities and
Local Government Committee, Dr Phyllis Starkey MP, 5 December
2007
Proposed joint Committee to examine national
policy statements
At its meeting earlier this week, the Committee considered
the Government's proposal, announced in last week's written ministerial
statement accompanying publication of the Planning Bill, "to
… encourage the House to establish a new Select Committee
with the main purpose of holding inquiries into draft national
policy statements in parallel with public consultation."
The Committee notes the Government's suggestion that
this Committee should be comprised of Members from the existing
Select Committees on Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform,
on Transport and on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Given
its responsibility for scrutinising the work of the Department
with overall responsibility both for planning and for local government,
the Committee is surprised and concerned that it is not among
the Committees expected to provide members to scrutinise these
important planning policy statements.
It will of course be for the House authorities themselves
ultimately to decide upon the shape and membership of this proposed
Committee—and indeed whether it is appropriate to establish
it at all. I would be interested, however, to hear what the thinking
was behind the decision to exclude my Committee from the Government's
proposal as originally made, and what the Government's view might
be should it be proposed that members of the Communities and Local
Government Committee also be invited to join members of those
other Committees on any joint Committee to scrutinise national
policy statements.
I am copying this letter to the Leader of the House,
to the Chairmen of the Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform,
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Transport Committees,
and to the Chairman of the Liaison Committee.
Dr Phyllis Starkey
Chair, Communities and Local Government Committee
