§ 4. Mr. Eadieasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a 1556 statement on amendments to planning procedures which entail the expediting of land to be made available for building projects.
§ Mr. YoungerMy right hon. Friend asked local planning authorities in March this year to give priority to applications for planning permission for new industrial building projects of 15,000 sq. ft. or more. He reminded them also of the need to deal promptly with planning applications generally. He is now consulting the local authority associations about other ways of expediting planning procedures.
§ Mr. EadieBefore showing concern about expediting planning procedures, ought not the Minister to examine existing planning procedures to prevent pollution in our villages and their surrounding area? Is he aware, for example, that in a village in my constituency people are being smothered by pollution because the present planning laws have proved inadequate to protect them?
§ Mr. YoungerIf the hon. Gentleman will write to me about particular cases, I shall be glad to look into them and do what I can to help. Decisions of this sort are first and foremost the responsibility of the local planning authorities, but I shall always be most ready to help them and to help the hon. Gentleman in any particular cases.