§ 2.55 p.m.
§ Lord Kennet asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ Whether, before publishing any more decisions on applications to develop hotels, theme parks and other tourist attractions at World Heritage sites, the Secretary of State for the Environment will visit all of them accompanied by his statutory advisers, English Heritage.
§ Lord ReayMy Lords, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State is able to make balanced and well-informed planning decisions without making site visits in person. Planning decisions are based on evidence presented by the parties and the assessment of an inspector who will have visited the site. An essential feature of the decision-making process is that each principal party will be fully aware of the representations made by other parties and have the opportunity to comment on those representations. Oral evidence proffered outside the context of public inquiry and written representation procedures is inadmissible.
§ Lord KennetMy Lords, the House probably knows that. Is the noble Lord aware that at the World Heritage site at Avebury (population 120) there will have been four major public inquiries in two years into development proposals? Does the Minister not agree that, prima facie, that is an extraordinary waste of public money and of official time? One assumes that it must be the case that the same kind of thing is happening at all the other World Heritage sites in the country. In those circumstances does the Minister not agree that it would be a possible notion for the Secretary of State to get a personal feel for what is going on in order the better to be able to put into effect government policy, which has been announced as "the present law is good enough", to protect these World Heritage sites?
§ Lord ReayMy Lords, I must repeat the point. Were the Secretary of State to visit the sites of proposals currently before him for decision, whether he was accompanied by his statutory advisers on the subject of heritage or not, he could be lobbied by anybody present, including the appellant or anyone else with an interest, and his decision would be open to challenge on the ground of partiality.
As regards the other point raised by the noble Lord concerning Avebury and the number of inquiries that there have been, I am sorry that amenity groups and local people have been put to so much trouble in giving evidence at these inquiries. It is unfortunate that there have been so many affecting Avebury within such a short period of time. However, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State has no control over the number and frequency of the appeals he receives. An appellant has the right to expect an inquiry to be held as quickly as possible.
§ Lord KennetMy Lords, I was not suggesting that the Secretary of State should pay an announced visit to a place where the result of a public inquiry was pending. However, can the Minister say what would prevent him from taking a look? He need not tell anyone that he is coming. The Secretary of State will then begin to understand what the issue is all about.
§ Lord ReayMy Lords, I repeat that in our view it would not be proper for the Secretary of State to visit sites for which proposals are currently before him for decision.
§ Lord Graham of EdmontonMy Lords, we appreciate that the Minister in charge cannot visit every site. However, does he not, as part of his responsibilities, get around the country to make site inspections of all kinds of installations involving planning considerations? I am sure the noble Lord will agree that there are not many sites which fall within this category which would inhibit the Minister from visiting every site. Does the Minister not agree that if the Secretary of State were to visit a site he would not only be able the better to assess the report from the inspector but he would then be able to convince all concerned in the matter that when he finally gave his decision he would know what he was talking about?
§ Lord ReayMy Lords, I was talking about— I think I was asked about— sites for which proposals were currently before the Secretary of State for decision. That is certainly the case concerning Avebury. As regards other sites, my noble friend Lord Hesketh, who has particular responsibility for heritage matters, has in the course of his duties visited several World Heritage sites and sometimes he has been accompanied by my noble friend Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, who is chairman of English Heritage. I am sure that my noble friend will continue to make such visits in the future.
Lord HuntMy Lords, will the noble Lord bear in mind that it is not only World Heritage sites which are under severe pressure from those who would develop them for commercial purposes for the tourist industry: I point out to the Minister that 1255 there are other designated areas such as national parks which are also affected. I ask the Minister to ensure that his right honourable friend bears carefully in mind how easy it is for the tourist industry— to use an expression which is perhaps not entirely apt, but expressive— to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.