Debate on controversial new planning laws is set to dominate the House of Key today (Tuesday).

The Town and Country Planning (Amendment) Bill was granted a second reading earlier this month but came in for serious criticism.

One of the strongest voices against some of the provisions, particular sweeping powers for the Council of Ministers to introduce ’national policy directives’ that would override normal planning processes and established planning policies, came from the actual chairman of the planning committee Tim Baker (Ayre and Michael).

With the Bill at the clauses stage today, when its provisions will be examined in detail, Mr Baker has tabled seven amendments, with a further three lodged by Bill Shimmins (Middle).

Mr Baker wants to ensure that any planning inspector’s report ’called in’ to be dealt with by the Council of Ministers must also be laid before Tynwald.

There was much concern about the Bill’s provision that the Council of Ministers merely had to consult such persons as it ’thinks fit’ before drawing up a national policy directive. Mr Baker wants to change that to ensure there is a public consultation - and regard is taken of it.

He also wants to place a five-year time limit on directives and also to add into the bill that the Cabinet Office must give reasons before recommending a directive.

Under the Bill, the Council of Ministers merely has to publish details of the directive in a manner it ’considers’ will bring it to the attention of people affected. Mr Baker wants to tighten that up to ensure any directive would be published in a newspaper and on a government website.

Mr Shimmins’ amendments include some tightening of the procedures for the proposed community infrastructure levy, under which a developer could be called upon to fund other community projects.

Although he has no amendments tabled, it is safe to assume that Lawrie Hooper (LibVannin, Ramsey) will also be putting the measures under the microscope. He was definitely less than impressed with aspects of the bill during the earlier debate.

Undoubtedly, Policy and Reform Minister Chris Thomas, who is in charge of the Bill, can expect to be a busy man and possibly even exasperated at some stage, if colleagues don’t share his vision.

Fortunately - or unfortunately depending on your point of view - the Bill is the last item on the agenda.

Before that MHKs will be asked to rubber stamp some final amendments, made by Legislative Council, to the Dormant Assets Bill, which paves the way for money left lying untouched in bank accounts for 15 years or longer to be allocated to a fund for good causes.

The Charities Registration and Regulation Bill, which had seemed to be quite a tricky one until the T&C Bill came along, is down for its third and final reading, and the Council of Ministers (Amendment) Bill, which puts into statute the independence of the judiciary and CoMin’s responsibility for upholding it, is due to have its clauses considered.

The question paper is a busy one.

It’s doubtful Education Minister Graham Cregeen harboured much hope that the idea of re-allocating Scoill yn Jubilee pupils to a secondary school catchment of St Ninian’s High School, instead of Ballakermeen, would go away soon and he was right. Clare Bettison (Douglas East) wants numbers to back up the argument that there has become an imbalance between the two Douglas secondary schools.

He will also be asked, by Jason Moorhouse (Arbory, Castletown and Malew) what records he has of the GCSE performance of home-educated students in the past three years. Home education, of course, is a touchy subject right now, as is the right of the department to keep tabs on it.

It will be interesting to see who will be more annoyed by the question and answer - the home educators or the education department.

Other subjects to be discussed include renewable energy, vehicle emissions and bus services in the north of the island.

Meanwhile, the Legislative Council will welcome for a first reading the Communication Bill, bringing the regulation of broadcasting and of telecoms under one umbrella, as it arrives fresh faced and rosy cheeks from his journey through the House of Keys.

The Income Tax Legislation (Amendment) Bill, putting some temporary measures onto a permanent footing, is down for its second reading and clauses stage.