12. Mr. Jacksonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he expects the reports of his inspector on the inquiry into the Didcot local plan and an inter-related planning appeal to be published.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneI understand that the inspector will submit both reports next week. Publication of the report of the local plan will be a matter for the south Oxfordshire district council within the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Structure and Local Plans) Regulations 1982—Statutory Instrument 555/1982.
My Department will issue the report on the planning appeals with the decisions that my right hon. Friend makes on those appeals.
Mr. JacksonOn behalf of my constituents I thank my hon. Friend for his reply, but does he share my opinion that 10 months—the time since the public inquiry began#x2014is rather a long time for the inquiry to have taken?
§ Mr. MacfarlaneI understand my hon. Friend's anxiety and regret the delay. The inspector has worked solely on the reports for the Didcot structure plan since the end of February. The deployment of inspectors with specialist skills made him most suitable to hold another inquiry at the end of January and the beginning of February. However, I hope that we can speed up the inquiry.