§ Mr. PoundTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to publish the Planning Inspectorate's annual report and accounts for 2000–01. [5980]
§ Ms KeebleThe Planning Inspectorate's annual report and accounts for 2000–01 are published today. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.
I am very pleased to report that the inspectorate has had another successful year, against a background of rising workloads, coupled with tighter targets for handling appeals. It has met all but one of the timeliness targets set for its work in England and Wales. The high standard of service to local authorities on development plan inquiries has been maintained with targets being exceeded. This has helped to create a greater certainty for all involved in the planning process as more of England and Wales is covered by up to date development plans.
363WFinancially, the inspectorate has continued to seek greater efficiency in working practices, with major investment in business systems and an ongoing commitment to electronic service delivery. Once again expenditure has been contained very closely within budget, reflecting achievement of demanding Treasury efficiency targets. The agreement of a second successive three-year funding deal with DTLR has also introduced greater certainty into the business planning process, enabling a more strategic approach to the challenging years ahead.
Customer surveys continue to show that the inspectorate's decisions are widely respected. In spite of rising workloads, the quality and efficiency targets were achieved.