§ Mr. SwinneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the (i) location of, (ii) running costs of, (iii) salary costs of and (iv) number of staff based at the Head Office of the(a) Planning Inspectorate and (b) Building Research Establishment; and for these bodies if he will list the percentage of (1) staff, (2) salary costs and (3) running costs which are based in (A) London and (B) Scotland. [36108]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Planning Inspectorate is an Executive Agency of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and of the Welsh Office. As of 2 March 1998, the Planning Inspectorate had 440 staff based at its Headquarters offices in Bristol and Cardiff. The Inspectorate's gross running cost allocation for the current year is £29.254 million. Forecast outturn for the paybill is £18.895 million. None of the staff are based in offices in London or Scotland. The Planning Inspectorate has no jurisdiction for planning appeals and other statutory functions under the Planning Acts in Scotland, for which there is a separate Inquiry Reporters Unit, which is part of the Scottish Office Development Department in Edinburgh.
The Building Research Establishment was privatised in March 1997; the Department therefore no longer has responsibility for its operations.