Business of the House

Ian Paisley Excerpts

Thursday 14th December 2023 Commons Chamber

[Penny Mordaunt]

I think that debate would be very well attended. We have an excellent record on education, and we have been right to focus on how we can have the greatest effect on social mobility and improved life chances. There are 30,000 more teachers and 10% more good or outstanding schools. We have soared up the international league tables on literacy and, of course, we have transformed the further and higher education landscape with an enormous uplift in apprenticeships, which are now world leading. That is in stark contrast to what is happening in Labour-run Wales and SNP-run Scotland.

[Ian Paisley (North Antrim) (DUP)]

In all parts of Northern Ireland, planning applications are subject to scrutiny by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, as is right and proper. However, delays in planning are often blamed on planning officers when the delay appears to rest elsewhere. The chief executive of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency has written to tell the head planners that he will no longer provide indicative response times for consultations, that he will no longer accommodate prioritisation requests and that he will no longer provide a response to any requests by telephone from chief planning officers. He is effectively saying, “Don’t call us; we’ll call you.” How can I best get this on the record and have a debate to make the Northern Ireland Environment Agency subject to proper timetabling?

[Penny Mordaunt]

The hon. Gentleman has found his own solution: he has got it on the record. I agree that hold-ups, delays and the inability to rely on fundamental services are huge problems that prevent people from investing to get on with developments. He has found his own answer, and I thank him for his diligence on this matter.