HC Deb 03 February 2000 vol 343 c664W
Mr. Chope

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the performance of the Government Office of the South West against the target of reaching 80 per cent. of decisions on whether or not to call in planning applications within three weeks and 100 per cent. of cases within seven weeks in the last 12 months. [108339]

Ms Beverley Hughes

During 1999 the Government Office for the South West issued 85 per cent. of decisions on whether or not to call in such applications within three weeks, and 88 per cent. within the secondary target of seven weeks.

Mr. Chope

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many decisions on whether or not to call in planning applications were reached after more than seven weeks since May 1997. [108338]

Ms Beverley Hughes

The total number of decisions for 1998 and 1999 is 294. Prior to 1998, the information was not collated on computer and, as a result, the figure for 1997 is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.