House of Lords plans built environment committee

The House of Lords has approved plans to setup an adhoc committee which will look into the development and implementation of national policy for the built environment.

The adhoc select committee, which is expected to be finalised after the general election in May, would consider the impact that the current national built environment policy has on economic growth, wellbeing, social cohesion and sustainability.

It will also look at ways in which national built environment policy is development and implemented, and the effect that national policy has on local authorities, planners, developers and employers.

The select committee is one of four adhoc committess approved for the after the election which aim to look in-depth at particular issue and report to back to both the House of Lords and to Government with a series of recommendations. The government is tasked with responding to the report before it is debated in the House of Lords.

Although the report itself cannot force governments to change any policies, a spokesperson for the House of Lords said it “puts pressure on the government to look at these issues in detail and adopt recommendations”.

Previous committees have looked into the arctic, digital skills and affordable childcare