[Philip Davies in the Chair]

Written evidence to be reported to the House

GIB 45 Christopher Witmey

GIB 46 Neil Blackshaw

GIB 47 Campaign for National Parks – Supplementary memorandum

GIB 48 ESB International

GIB 49 UKMPG

GIB 50 Geraldeve LLP – Supplementary memorandum

GIB 51 Dr P Gardner

GIB 52 Employee Ownership Association

On a point of order, Mr Davies. Could I ask for some guidance on whether the planning Minister would be able to give some further guidance? He wrote a letter to the Committee yesterday, in response to my right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich who had posed some questions about whether clause 5 was retrospective. The letter from the Minister says that he was confused, and it finishes: “I was confused by it myself.” There is no explanation in the letter about the retrospective nature of the clause, and I wondered whether there is any mechanism to have the Minister clarify the issue.

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his point of order. Unfortunately, the clause that his query relates to has now been disposed of by the Committee. I am sure that there will be future consideration of the Bill at different stages and that point may be something he wants to take up then, but we cannot do it now.