Town and Country Planning (Hansard, 26 April 1955)

§ 30. Mr. Powell
asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government whether he will consider taking steps to extend the period during which application may be made for payments under Part I of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1954.

§ Mr. Deedes
My right hon. Friend has today made a regulation extending until the end of June the period within which claims may be made. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland is taking similar action.

§ Mr. Powell
Will the Government take all the steps in their power to ensure that the fullest publicity is given to this extension for the people to whom it applies?

§ Mr. Deedes
Yes, that will certainly be done.

§ Mr. Thornton-Kemsley
Will that regulation have to come before both Houses of Parliament or this House only, or not before Parliament at all?

§ Mr. Deedes
It will not have to come before the House of Commons.

§ 31. Mr. Peyton
asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what consultations he has with other Government Departments after an inquiry has been held under the Town and Country Planning Acts and before he makes his decision.

§ Mr. Deedes
Other Government Departments are consulted where questions of policy affecting them arise.

§ Mr. Peyton
Is my hon. Friend aware that this sort of procedure is arousing growing anxiety amongst a growing section of public opinion? Surely it is a denial of justice and makes a farce of the procedure that the appellant, the party principally concerned, should not be intimately and fully informed of the case he has to answer? Will my hon. Friend look into it?

§ Mr. Deedes
In general this raises issues of constitutional principle, with which, obviously, I cannot deal in answer to a supplementary question. I think my hon. Friend has one particular case in mind which involves the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation, and on that I have already sent him certain observations.