§ Lord VAIZEYasked Her Majesty's Government:
To give a list of Inspectors who have conducted planning appeal hearings for the Department of the Environment in the past two years; their ages; their professional qualifications and experience; and, in particular, whether any of them are retired borough or county engineers or have been otherwise professionally engaged in or connected with road construction, and, if so, which.
§ Baroness BIRKThe Inspectors who conduct inquiries into planning appeals are normally appointed from the Department's salaried Inspectorate which currently numbers 192, excluding supervising staff. Their ages vary between 36 and 69 and all have an appropriate professional qualification or experience1168WA relevant to the work which they undertake. I am sending the noble Lord very shortly a list of these Inspectors with their qualifications. The Inspectors who conduct motorway or trunk road inquiries are selected from a separate panel of fee paid Inspectors. This panel currently numbers 49 of whom four are retired borough or county engineers. A further three are retired borough or county surveyors who are professionally qualified engineers. The remainder of the information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate expense.