4 Conclusion
31. The Minister told us that he would aim to bring
a final version of the NPS before Parliament in the autumn. This
is an appropriate and realistic timetable given the need to consider
the various points raised in the Government's consultation process
and in this report. We look forward to seeing the NPS in
final form later this year and debating its contents.
32. The NPS is necessary because it will help
guide decision makers in assessing major road and rail projects
by clarifying Government policy. The current draft requires some
improvement and we have made a number of recommendations which
should be taken on board. Most importantly, the Government must
provide more examples of the type of transport scheme it thinks
should be promoted to meet the nation's needs; it should provide
more guidance about how to determine whether a scheme which interferes
with the Green Belt or other sensitive planning or environmental
matters should go ahead; and it should seek to integrate planning
for passenger and freight transport by route or region, rather
than look at each mode individually.
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