§ [References are to Bill [51] as first printed for the Commons]
§
[No. 1]
Page 2, line 24, after 'authority' insert—
'(1) After subsection (1), there shall be inserted the following subsection—
(2) Where subsection (5) of section 32 of the Act of 1972 applies to an exercise of power by the regional planning authority under that section, the person appointed by the regional planning authority shall be a person approved by the Secretary of State."(2)'
§ Lord KIRKHILLMy Lords, I beg to move that this House doth agree with the Commons in their Amendment No. 10. This Government Amendment was made to give effect to a recommendation of the Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals. The Committee were concerned that where a regional planning authority have called in a planning application, and either the applicant or the district planning authority ask for an inquiry, the person appointed to preside at that inquiry should be seen to be independent, and in no way biased towards the regional planning authority. There is already an administrative arrangement which has this effect. SDD Circular 76/1975 advises regional planning authorities to appoint a Reporter from the Secretary of State's panel. But the Committee believe—and the Government on balance accept—that it will increase public confidence in the handling of applications by regional planning authorities if the requirement to appoint a "Secretary of State-approved" Reporter is spelled out in the Bill.
§ Moved, That this House doth agree with the Commons in the said Amendment.—(Lord Kirkhill.)
Lord CAMPBELL of CROYMy Lords, I understand that this is an improvement to the Bill which was suggested by the Scottish Committee of the Council on Tribunals, which follows up the principles which the Franks Committee several years ago proposed and which have been universally accepted, and I therefore commend the Amendment to the House.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.