Clause
34
Sustainable
development
Andrew
George (St. Ives) (LD): I beg to move amendment No. 102,
in clause 34, page 15, leave out lines 7 to
9 and insert—
‘(1) This
section applies to the HCA in exercising any function set out in Part 1
in relation to: land acquisition, land disposal, planning, provision of
infrastructure or highways
adoption.
(2) The HCA must
exercise the functions listed in subsection (1) with the objective of
contributing to the achievement of sustainable
development.’.
The
Chairman:
With this it will be convenient to discuss
amendment No. 101, in clause 34, page 15, line 7, leave out
from ‘HCA’ to end of line 9 and insert
‘shall exercise its functions with
the objective of contributing to sustainable
development.
(1A) The Secretary of State
may issue guidance to the HCA for the purposes of this section and the
HCA shall have regard to any guidance so
issued.’.
Andrew
George:
I shall be brief in view of the time. The clause
as currently written is thin, given the Government’s commitment
on climate change, the Climate Change Bill, the endorsement of Stern
and everything else. All that the clause says is that the HCA
“may” contribute, but it may not. There is no commitment
there whatsoever.
While the objectives of the
agency are worthwhile in themselves, delivering housing must take place
in the context of the Government’s objectives for sustainable
development. The 2005 UK sustainable development strategy,
“Securing the Future”, established the goals of living
within the environmental limits and providing a just society by means
of a sustainable economy, good governance and sound science. Those are
guiding
principles that should underpin the delivery of housing and apply to all
public bodies in the exercise of their functions. For example, local
planning authorities must exercise their functions “with the objective of
contributing to the achievement of sustainable
development”
in
preparing local development documents under section 39 of the Planning
and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
The need for sustainable
development is one of the most pressing issues facing decision makers.
It is highly regrettable that the HCA has not been given a strong duty
to achieve that. That duty should be accompanied by guidance on how to
carry it out, how it should be monitored and it should also be reported
on annually in the report the HCA is required to undertake under
paragraph 11 of schedule 1. I hope that the Minister will bear in mind
the need to make a more robust statement on
that.
Mr.
Wright:
I am not sure whether the hon. Gentleman was here
during the consideration of an amendment to clause 2 to hear the
comments of my right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich.
I agreed that I would look at that and come back. I want to have a look
at comparable bodies such as regional development agencies and the
Greater London Assembly and am mindful of what the hon. Gentleman said
and hope to bring something back on Report. I hope that he will
withdraw his amendment on that basis.
Andrew
George:
I beg to ask leave to withdraw the
amendment.
Amendment,
by leave, withdrawn.
6.59
pm
Further
consideration adjourned.—[Liz
Blackman.]
Adjourned
accordingly at one minute to Seven o’clock till Thursday 17
January at Nine
o’clock.
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