Mr. Niall Cussen:

We probably have had a stop-start approach to capital investment. From my experience of engaging with my opposite numbers or professional links in other European countries, they often work with the benefit of a sustained and continuous programme of public capital investment, particularly around public transport. I alluded to this in my statement. Even the knowledge and the momentum of that creates a basis then for corresponding public and private investment and the achievement of the compact growth objectives. For various reasons, many of which will be familiar to members of this committee, we have had a stop-start cycle.

However, on quite a positive note, for the first time we have an integrated spatial plan backed by a capital investment plan. That of itself is actually quite unusual as one goes around other European countries. It is not so often that one will see such a strong alignment between a national planning framework and national development plan. We might well argue does it go far enough and so on. The very fact that we have that as a building block of public policy in this country is a huge breakthrough, however. It obviously gives us a platform to work through.

There have been very encouraging and positive signs from Government that the commitment is there, notwithstanding the Covid headwinds and economic challenges, to maintain that public capital programme, which is absolutely vital to give the planning authorities, elected members, communities and so on the certainty that public transport infrastructure is being invested in and progressed. Then we can work out all of the other relevant details. There is another issue, of course, namely, the extent to which there are legal challenges around large planning cases but that is another matter.