Today's entry reports on the second reading of the Growth
and Infrastructure Bill on 5 November.
Yesterday was the second reading of - the first general debate
on - the Growth and
Infrastructure Bill, taking six and a half hours.
The full debate can be found here starting at column 596, but here is a
summary. The bill contains a miscellaneous selection of
measures aimed at boosting growth, although the Prime Minister
was oft quoted by the opposition as having said earlier in the
year: "If you could legislate your way to growth, obviously we
would. The truth is you can't."
Eric Pickles MP, Secretary of State for Communities and Local
Government, introduced the Bill in what Simon Hoggart
unkindly described as an 'orotund' speech. He lost my
support when he said that planning was 'no longer the preserve
of lawyers, town hall officers and non-governmental
organisations', although luckily I don't quite believe him.
I will reorder the debate by subject matter for
