Planning Process: Probity

Clive Betts Excerpts
Thursday 11th June 2020

(4 years, 4 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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Let me just say that we are straying from what the urgent question is about, so, unfortunately, we will have to move on.

Clive Betts Portrait Mr Clive Betts (Sheffield South East) (Lab)
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In the interests of transparency, may I say that the Select Committee has not considered this matter? Last night I did receive a letter from the mayor of Tower Hamlets, but the Committee has not given consideration to that. Does the Minister agree that such matters as this are best dealt with when all the facts are in the public domain, otherwise judgments will be formed along the basis of supposition and conjecture, and, were the Committee to make a request to the Secretary of State, would he be willing to provide us with all relevant documentation so that the Committee could give proper, careful consideration to these matters, based on the facts that are available?

Christopher Pincher Portrait Christopher Pincher
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I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question. I remind him that the decision of the Secretary of State, as I have already said, is in the public domain. The application is a live one, and documentation will be published in the usual way. We always take seriously, and consider weightily, requests from the Committee, and I am sure that we will happily consider this one. However, my right hon. Friend has published his decision, it is a very clear decision, and all documents will be published in the usual way, as they are through live planning applications.