Asked by: Lord Alderdice (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government how the powers, responsibility, and accountability of the Northern Ireland Planning Appeals Commission compare to similar bodies in the other countries of the UK; and what impact any difference is having on the Levelling Up agenda.
Answered by Lord Caine - Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
As the Noble Lord is aware, planning policy is a transferred matter in Northern Ireland and the Department for Infrastructure has responsibility for regional planning policy and legislation. The Northern Ireland Planning Appeals Commission is an independent body that deals with a wide range of land use and planning issues.
Reviewing the powers and performance of the Planning Appeals Commission is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Assembly and that's why it is important that an Assembly Speaker is elected and the Northern Ireland Executive is reformed in order for these decisions to be made locally, where they should be.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has responsibility for planning policy in England. The other devolved administrations take responsibility for planning policy in their respective nations.
Asked by: Lord Alderdice (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the Northern Ireland Audit Office's comments in February that "Northern Ireland's planning system is not working efficiently and, in many aspects, is failing to deliver for the economy, communities or the environment"; and what impact this is having on the Levelling Up agenda.
Answered by Lord Caine - Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
As the Noble Lord is aware, planning policy is a transferred matter in Northern Ireland and the Department for Infrastructure has responsibility for regional planning policy and legislation.
We note the concerns raised about the performance of the planning system in Northern Ireland in the Northern Ireland Audit Office report. The concerns raised in the report highlight the need for functioning devolved institutions as envisaged and enabled by the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, delivering on key issues like ensuring Northern Ireland has an effective planning system that meets the needs of businesses and the public.
The UK Government is committed to growing and levelling up the Northern Ireland economy, which is why more than £3.5bn has been provided in recent years, in addition to the Northern Ireland Executive’s block grant, through the New Deal for Northern Ireland, City and Growth Deals, PEACE PLUS and the New Decade, New Approach financial package. Furthermore, following the 2021 Spending Review the Government is providing the largest funding settlement to the Northern Ireland Executive since devolution in 1998, totalling £15 billion on average per year, for the next 3 years. This means that public spending is able to be maintained at some 21% higher per capita than the UK average.
Asked by: Lord Alderdice (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Northern Ireland Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Northern Ireland Planning Appeals Commission Annual Review 2021/22, published on 26 August, and the impact its findings are having on the Levelling Up agenda.
Answered by Lord Caine - Shadow Minister (Northern Ireland)
Planning policy is a transferred matter in Northern Ireland and the Department for Infrastructure has responsibility for regional planning policy and legislation.
We note the findings in the Northern Ireland Planning Appeals Commission Annual Review 2021/22. This highlights the need for functioning devolved institutions as envisaged and enabled by the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, with local decision-makers taking the action needed to ensure Northern Ireland has a planning appeals process that meets the needs of businesses and the public.
The UK Government is committed to growing and levelling up the Northern Ireland economy, which is why more than £3.5bn has been provided in recent years, in addition to the Northern Ireland Executive’s block grant, through the New Deal for Northern Ireland, City and Growth Deals, PEACE PLUS and the New Decade, New Approach financial package.
Furthermore, following the 2021 Spending Review the Government is providing the largest funding settlement to the Northern Ireland Executive since devolution in 1998, totalling £15 billion on average per year, for the next 3 years.