To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations the Sustainable Development Commission has made to her Department on (a) the Planning Bill and (b) the Infrastructure Planning Commission. (182562)

The Sustainable Development Commission responded to consultation on the Planning White Paper in August last year.

My Department maintains an ongoing dialogue with the Sustainable Development Commission in its role as Government’s independent adviser on sustainable development.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the proposed national policy statements will over-ride provisions on existing planning policy (a) guidance note/planning policy (b) statement. (183248)

National policy statements will provide the national policy framework for development consents for nationally significant infrastructure projects. They will incorporate relevant elements of town and country planning policy and other relevant Government policies.

Some national policy statements will also be relevant to smaller infrastructure projects which require town and country planning permission. National policy statements will feed through into regional spatial strategies and local development plans in relation to those categories of infrastructure, alongside other aspects of planning policy.