§ 7. Mr. Snowasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government and Minister for Welsh Affairs if he will state the reason for his failure to come to a decision in the case called in Planning Application No. 1286 (Staffordshire County Council), dated April, 1962, which has been the subject of verbal and written representations by the hon. Member for Lichfield and Tamworth during May and June, 1962, and which is still undecided.
§ Mr. CorfieldThe application to which the hon. Member refers was one of nine applications being dealt with together. My right hon. Friend's decisions on all these applications are being conveyed to the parties today. He regrets the delay in reaching this position and I am writing to the hon. Member to explain matters to him.
§ Mr. SnowIs the hon. Gentleman aware that in the west Midlands, the 171 planning delays attaching to overspill migration will become more and more serious; and that this sort of unpardonable delay means that people are not getting their homes but, under Government policy, are transferring from the Birmingham conurbation to my constituency? Will he please see that this sort of case does not happen again?
§ Mr. CorfieldAs I assured the hon. Member the other day, we are considering most seriously any suggestions for improvement, but I would deny that the delay in this case has been unpardonable. This is an area that lacks main drainage, which means a lat of complications in reaching a decision.