Ms Anne Marie O'Connor:

There are provisions around the national planning statements and the requirement for local authorities to vary their development plan where they are inconsistent with those, specifically with the policies and measures. Those planning statements will be broken down into areas that require consistency, policies and measures and other areas that may provide more general guidance. We welcome that clarity because at the moment it is difficult for local authorities. We acknowledge that. It is difficult for us in doing our job as well around where that line lies between what is a fundamental part of any guidelines and what is perhaps more advisory and good practice.