§ Mr. WigleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what factors led to the decision not to permit employees of the national parks to stand for elections to local authorities in their areas. [12489]
§ Mr. HagueThe planning and development control responsibilities of national parks require them to take decisions which directly affect the interests of individual residents and businesses in the parks. People in the parks should be confident that there is no possible conflict between an individual's interest as an employee of a national park authority and his position as a member of a local authority. The Environment Act 1995 preserves this position by providing that an employee of a national park authority is not only disqualified from being a member of that authority, but from being a member of any local authority represented on that national park authority.