Greg Clark, decentralisation Minister, comments on the communities and local government committee report on local planning:

"I warmly welcome the DCLG select committee’s constructive recommendations to the draft framework consultation. I invited the committee to make specific suggestions to the draft framework and am grateful for the practical and measured way they have approached the exercise.

"The government will consider carefully each of the suggestions that have been made, along with all responses to the consultation.

"We are determined that the National Planning Policy Framework will put power into the hands of local people, through a simpler, clearer system, which safeguards our natural and historic environment while allowing the jobs and homes to be created that our country needs."