§ 25. Mr. Peytonasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government what results his efforts to reduce the length of time taken in considering appeals under the Town and Country Planning Act have now had.
§ Mr. H. BrookeThe number of appeals being settled each month has much increased over the last year, and the number awaiting decision is now substantially less than it was a year ago.
§ Mr. PeytonWhile I applaud my right hon. Friend's efforts to make this cumbersome machinery, which we inherited from another section of the House, work, will he nevertheless do his best to carry on the good work? I am sure that he will be aware that there are certain cases in which very long delays still continue and which cause the whole paraphernalia of planning to fall into disrepute.
§ Mr. BrookeI quite agree with my hon. Friend that the position is not yet satisfactory, but in the month when he last asked a Question about this matter —July last year—344 cases were settled, whereas last month 501 cases were settled, so that we are going fast in the right direction.
§ Mr. GowerIs my right hon. Friend aware that the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, is being used completely to stifle the natural desires of many people to build a place of their own in the country for their retirement, and that an excessive zeal for green belts is being carried to an extreme?
§ Mr. BrookeI cannot accept that as a generalisation. Each of these cases needs to be carefully considered on its merits.
§ 27. Mr. A. J. Irvineasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government how many appeals under Section 16 of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1947, were allowed, dismissed, and withdrawn, respectively, during 1956.
§ Mr. H. BrookeThere were 1,425 allowed, 2,944 were dismissed and 2,166 were withdrawn.
§ Mr. IrvineI am much obliged for that Answer. As this class of information will be forthcoming in due course in the Annual Report of the Ministry, will the Minister take this opportunity to indicate when the Report for 1956 can be expected?
§ Mr. BrookeI should not like to state a date, but I was looking at the proofs this morning.