§ Mr. HancockTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set out the procedures his Department follows in making orders under the Transport and Works Act 1992; what his Department's target time-scale is for the process of granting an order; and if he will make a statement. [149562]
§ Mr. HillWhere an application is made for an order under the Transport and Works Act 1992, and objections are received, the Secretary of State may choose either to hold a public local inquiry or to conduct exchanges of written representations between the parties. The choice of procedure will depend upon the nature and extent of the objections made. Either way, the aim is to ensure that the views of interested parties are given a proper airing in the interests of natural justice and informed decision taking. Following receipt of the inspector's report in an inquiry case, or the conclusion of the written exchanges, the Secretary of State carefully considers all the views expressed before coming to a decision.
The Department' s target time-scales for determining TWA applications depend upon the procedure followed. Where an inquiry is held, the target is to issue a decision 114W within six months of receipt of the inspector's report. For cases subject to the written representations procedure, the target is to reach a decision within four months of the conclusion of that procedure.