§ 22. Mr. Iain Millsasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on progress in accelerating the speed of determining planning applications.
§ Mr. HeseltineI have set in train various measures which should result in substantial improvements in the handling of planning applications. Trends in speed of decision will become apparent in due course from the regular statistical bulletins which my Department is now publishing.
§ Mr. MillsIs the Secretary of State aware that an additional delay is often caused at the local authority end? Will he consider introducing some form of instant decision-making on this matter?
§ Mr. HeseltineI have secured agreement from the local authorities that they would also publish the details of the time taken for them to reach decisions on planning applications. I also intend that my planning inspectors should give their decisions within a matter of days of the inquiries being concluded in a large number of cases.