Written Ministerial Statements in planning: what status do they have?

 

A Written Ministerial Statement, usually shortened to WMS, is one way the Government can put policy and other information formally on the Parliamentary record. In planning, that matters because a relevant WMS can form part of the national policy picture even though it is not an Act of Parliament, a statutory instrument or part of the development plan.

The August 2026 National Planning Policy Framework makes the point expressly. Its introduction says that other national policy statements must be considered where relevant when plans are prepared or development proposals are decided, and identifies both the National Planning Policy for Waste and relevant Written Ministerial Statements.

This page explains where a WMS sits in the planning hierarchy, how much weight it can carry, and the important effect of Annex A of the 2026 NPPF.

 

What is a Written Ministerial Statement?

 

Government ministers can make written as well as oral statements to Parliament. The UK Parliament guide to written ministerial statements explains that written statements are normally used to place government business on the official record and in the public domain. They may announce policy initiatives, consultations, funding, reports or changes in the Government’s approach.

For planning purposes the important point is not the label alone. A WMS may contain a statement of government planning policy, but it may also contain background, an announcement of future legislation or administrative information. The actual wording and context therefore matter.

 

A WMS is policy, not legislation

 

A Written Ministerial Statement does not amend the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 or a statutory instrument simply by being issued. It cannot remove a statutory duty or rewrite legislation.

Planning decisions still start with the statutory development plan. Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires decisions to be made in accordance with that plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. National planning policy, including a relevant WMS, can be one of those material considerations.

That is why a planning statement should not say that a WMS “overrides” an adopted Local Plan as though it automatically displaces section 38(6). The better question is what policy the statement contains, whether it is still current and what weight that policy should carry in the decision.

 

What changed with the August 2026 NPPF?

 

Paragraph 12 of the August 2026 NPPF says that other national policy statements must be considered where relevant and expressly includes relevant Written Ministerial Statements. It then points to Annex A for WMSs and other planning policy documents which have been incorporated into the Framework or which no longer represent up-to-date government policy.

That makes Annex A an essential check when somebody cites an older ministerial statement. The list includes statements on matters such as large-scale housing delivery, solar and best and most versatile agricultural land, local energy efficiency standards, onshore wind, neighbourhood plans and Green Belt policy.

But Annex A should not be turned into a crude “cancelled statements” list. Its wording is more careful: the planning content of the listed statements and documents has been fully or partially incorporated into the NPPF or no longer represents up-to-date government policy. If a historic statement matters to a live case, read the statement and the current NPPF rather than assuming every sentence in the older document has the same status.

Read the current NPPF on GOV.UK →

 

How to check whether a planning WMS is still current

 

A sensible check normally involves five steps:

• Find the original statement on the official Parliamentary written statements database
• Check its exact title, date, House and statement reference
• Check Annex A of the current NPPF to see whether its planning content has been incorporated or superseded
• Check for a later NPPF, WMS, policy paper or Planning Practice Guidance dealing with the same subject
• Check the legislation separately where the statement discusses a legal change

The official Parliament written statements search is the best starting point for the original text. Do not rely on a quotation copied into an old appeal statement, committee report or professional article when the primary source can be checked.

 

How much weight does a Written Ministerial Statement carry?

 

There is no single number or fixed percentage of weight. The significance of a WMS depends on the issue, the wording, its date, whether it is consistent with later national policy and how directly it relates to the proposal being decided.

A recent and specific statement of national planning policy may be highly important. An old statement whose substance has since been built into the NPPF may add little beyond the current Framework. A statement which merely announces an intention to consult on a future change is different again.

The decision-maker must still apply the statutory planning framework and the relevant current national decision-making policies. Our guide to material considerations explains the wider principle.

 

Using a WMS in an application or appeal

 

If a Written Ministerial Statement genuinely assists a case, quote the proposition accurately and identify the source. A useful reference normally gives the title, date and Parliamentary statement reference, followed by a short explanation of why the particular passage remains relevant.

Do not simply paste several pages of ministerial text into a planning statement. The useful part is the planning argument: what current policy proposition does the statement establish, how does it relate to the adopted development plan and the 2026 NPPF, and what does that mean for this site?

The same approach applies on planning appeals. An Inspector will be interested in the current policy position, not the size of the bundle of historic policy documents.

 

Written Ministerial Statements are easy to miss

 

One reason WMSs cause problems is that they do not sit neatly inside the NPPF or the online Planning Practice Guidance. A new statement can alter the national policy context between formal revisions of those documents.

That makes the date of an application, appeal or committee decision important. Where a WMS has been made after advice was written, it may need to be brought expressly to the decision-maker’s attention.

Other Planning Policy Sections

 

Written Ministerial Statements Page Updated: 30th August 2026