Oral Answers to Questions — Mobile Telephone Masts

Part of the debate – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 24 Ebrill 2001.

Danfonwch hysbysiad imi am ddadleuon fel hyn

Photo of Damian Green Damian Green Shadow Spokesperson (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) 12:00, 24 Ebrill 2001

I cannot believe that the Minister is convincing even himself with this flannel. Clearly, he is not convincing any of his colleagues. On 31 July last year, he said that he was minded to introduce a requirement for full planning permission. He reneged on that statement, and his alternative proposals were rightly shredded by the Select Committee on Trade and Industry, which had a Labour majority. The Committee pointed out that he planned to entrench the unpopular and confusing prior approval regime and entrench existing perverse incentives to operators to put up masts below an arbitrarily chosen height limit". Does he agree with his colleagues on the Committee that his policy is perverse, unpopular and confusing?