National Policy Statements — Parliamentary committee writes a report — 20 May 2009 at 16:10

The majority of MPs voted in favour of the formal rules of procedure for presenting a National Policy Statement for review by Parliament, under section 9(2) of the [Planning Act 2008]

The new Infrastructure Planning Commission is to decide on planning applications for nationally important infrastructure "in accordance with any relevant national policy statement".^[1]

The rules are as follows:^[2]

• The Liaison Committee either designates a select committee or appoints a new National Policy Statement Committee to consider the proposal.
• A National Policy Statement Committee has between 7 and 13 members chosen from the Select committees for Communities and Local Government, Energy and Climate Change, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Transport, and Welsh Affairs.
• The Committee shall have power to send for persons, papers and records, and to appoint specialist advisers.
• The Committee shall cease to exist according to a deadline set by the Secretary of State, whether or not it has had time to report.
• The committee may invite other MPs to attend its meetings without voting rights.

This set of rules was passed, after an amendment to them had been rejected.^[3]

• [1] Decisions of Panel and Council, Section 104, Planning Act 2008
• [2] Iain Wright MP, House of Commons, 20 May 2009
• [3] National Policy Statements - Parliamentary debate following committee report - rejected, House of Commons Division, 20 May 2009

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