§ 5. Mr. Snowasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the average delay between the holding of inquiries held by his Department's inspectors, arising out of planning appeals, and the publication of his decisions, concerning property in England and Wales as a whole, and Staffordshire in particular.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (Mr. F. V. Corfield)Recently the average time for England and Wales as a whole has been ten weeks, and for Staffordshire cases seven weeks.
§ Mr. SnowIs the Parliamentary Secretary aware that there is acute cause for disquiet? Those may be average figures but there are some appallingly different figures which I can and will produce.
§ 6. Mr. Snowasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs what is the average delay between the date of planning appeals and the holding of inquiries by his Department's inspectors in respect of appeals concerning property in England and Wales as a whole, and Staffordshire in particular.
§ Mr. CorfieldIn appeals decided recently the average time has been twenty-four weeks in England and Wales and about twenty-seven weeks in Staffordshire.
§ Mr. SnowIs the hon. Gentleman aware that there is need to review the whole procedure for the handling of appeals? Has his Department examined the possibilities of regionalising, with proper constitutional safeguards, the appeal procedure?
§ Mr. CorfieldThe main cause of delay is, of course, the increase in the number 774 of appeals. I can assure the hon. Gentleman that we are considering every reasonable suggestion made to reduce this delay, but I cannot commit myself on the particular suggestion he has put forward at this particular moment.
Mrs. SlaterWill not the Parliamentary Secretary reconsider this issue, because almost every local authority is in the position of having long delays, much longer than twenty-four weeks from the time when the appeals are heard? Consequently people are disturbed, local authority routines are upset and people are condemned to live in slum property for much longer than they should be. Will the hon. Gentleman look at this matter again?
§ Mr. CorfieldI am not sure that I see the connection between people living in slum property and this Question, but I can assure the hon. Lady that we are concerned about this problem and that we are examining every reasonable suggestion to reduce the delay.
§ Mr. SnowOn a point of order. In view of those replies, I beg to give notice that I shall raise the matter on the Adjournment as soon as possible.