Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Iain Stewart and Nick Boles

Monday 20th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Iain Stewart (Milton Keynes South) (Con)]

T4. The Minister will be aware of last week’s article in The Daily Telegraph alleging a major relaxation of planning laws. This has caused some concern in my constituency, where substantial housing growth is already planned. What reassurance can he give my constituents that we will not have some planning free-for-all?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Nick Boles)]

The Daily Telegraph is no doubt one of your favourite newspapers, Mr Speaker, as it is of mine, but it is in the business of selling copies, so it sometimes needs to entertain and provoke as well as inform. I can reassure my hon. Friend that we are not proposing any further major planning reforms, but simply a few minor tweaks to the administrative process of discharging planning conditions.