The Department for Transport is launching today the public consultation on a draft national policy statement for ports in England and Wales. I am laying the draft before the House and placing copies of the consultation in the House Library.

This national policy statement forms a key element of the Government's programme to deliver the reforms to the planning system included in last year's Planning Act. As my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change has announced in another place, the Government are also today publishing for consultation a series of national policy statements for energy infrastructure.

The aim of the reforms to the planning system set out in the Planning Act is to make the planning system more responsive to challenges such as climate change, more streamlined, efficient and predictable, and more transparent and accountable with full and fair opportunities for public consultation and community engagement.

The draft national policy statement for ports sets out the broad need for ports capacity looking ahead to 2030 and beyond, taking account in particular of our forecasts of port freight demand and the regional and local economic benefits of port activity. It also restates the Government's long-standing policy that this need can be best be met by an efficient and competitive ports industry operating in a free-market environment. It further sets out, in the context of the Government’s overall objectives for sustainable development, including mitigating and adapting to climate change and the achievement of good design, how the various potential adverse impacts of port development should be addressed by applicants with a view to avoiding, mitigating and where necessary compensating for such impacts. It notes how ports can support the development of low carbon energy sources and a low carbon economy. And it provides guidance about how the Infrastructure Planning Commission must weight any residual impacts in considering applications for nationally significant port developments, including in setting requirements and agreeing obligations for consented developments.

The department is also publishing, in parallel, its appraisal of sustainability of the draft national policy statement, incorporating a strategic environmental assessment, as well as an impact assessment and an assessment of the NPS under the habitats and wild birds directives and regulations. Consultees will be able to comment on these if they wish. I am placing copies of the main appraisal of sustainability in the House Library.

The public consultation being launched today invites views on the extent to which this national policy statement provides a suitable framework for the Infrastructure Planning Commission in making decisions about consents for new port developments. Its decisions will be based primarily on national policy statements, so it is all the more important that people have a full opportunity to comment on the detailed drafting. The consultation closes on 15 February but I encourage people to respond earlier where possible in order to allow their comments to be taken into account in parliamentary scrutiny of the policy statement. Consultees are also invited to participate in consultation events to be organised by my department in London, Leeds and Cardiff. The consultation is at www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/portsnps.

Section 9(7) of the Planning Act requires the Secretary of State to stipulate the relevant period in which, if either House makes a resolution or a Committee of either House makes recommendations with regard to the proposal to designate an NPS, he will lay a Statement in response. I hereby stipulate the relevant period as that beginning today and ending on 6 May 2010.

The House may wish to be aware that the Department for Transport is continuing to work up for consultation a draft NPS for England’s strategic road and rail networks. The advice I have commissioned from High Speed 2 on high speed rail services is likely to be a significant factor in determining future policy, I have now concluded that it would be appropriate to publish this NPS early next year, having considered the HS2 report. In addition, I still expect to publish a draft NPS for airports by 2011.