§ Mr. Paul ClarkTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made on the delegation of water abstraction appeal decisions to the Planning Inspectorate under the provisions of the Environment Act 1995. [117868]
§ Mr. MullinI have arranged for the Secretary of State's power to take decisions on water abstraction and impounding appeals, under section 43 of the Water Resources Act 1991, to be exercised by the Planning Inspectorate. This came into effect on 1 April 2000. All decisions will be taken by Inspectors on behalf of the Secretary of State, except in rare cases of major importance or difficulty where the Secretary of State may recover the case to determine himself. The Planning Inspectorate will shortly issue guidance for use by potential appellants.