§ Lord Kennetasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they intend to take the Planning Division out of the Department of the 140WA Environment and make it a separate executive agency, and if so to whom it will be responsible.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Hesketh)My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for the Environment announced on 21st December 1988 that he was considering whether the Planning Inspectorate should become an executive agency. The inspectorate deals principally with appeals against the decisions of local planning authorities. As an agency, it would continue to be part of the Department of the Environment, accountable to the Secretary of State. The objective of the change of status would be to improve the organisation and management of the inspectorate: it would not alter its functions nor the Secretary of State's statutory responsibilities for the planning system.