New amendments to the Government's Planning Bill have been laid in Parliament designed to strengthen the scrutiny of national policy statements by the House of Lords, and tackle climate change.

Under these measures, published in advance of the report stage of the legislation in the Lords on 6 November, ministers now expect regional plans to indicate how they will mitigate and adapt to climate change. Government will have to explain how this will be achieved in Parliament.
 
The changes provide a key new role for peers in scrutinising all national policy statements including those for aviation, nuclear power and renewable energy, and there is now a legal duty in the Bill for national policy statements to show how they will mitigate and adapt to climate change.
 
The Government has also confirmed that the proposed Infrastructure Planning Commission will be able to allow cross-examination of witnesses where appropriate.

In advance of the key Parliamentary session in the Upper House, Communities Secretary Hazel Blears stressed that the Government’s plans for a new regime for major infrastructure schemes were crucial in the fight against climate change and to help deliver new challenging targets on renewable energy required by the European Union.

She said: "With climate change now firmly implanted in this Bill it really will deliver, in a more democratic system, the low carbon economy we need to move to.
 
"We have improved the Bill at each stage and listened to constructive ideas from MPs and peers.

"It will give local people three chances to have their say instead of just the one now, decisions will take less than a year, and save our economy up to £300m each year by preventing unnecessary delays. That is why I'm urging all sides of the House to back the Bill."