§ Mr. KidneyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what conclusions he has reached from his Department's review of existing law relating to compulsory purchase. [155421]
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§ Mr. RaynsfordThe Urban White Paper ("Our Towns and Cities: the Future". Cmnd 4911), published last November, set out our approach in response to the recommendations of the Advisory Group, which conducted a review of the laws and procedures relating to compulsory purchase and compensation, published in July last year. New guidance on the operation of the system will be available in the next few months, and the Law Commission will shortly publish a preliminary scoping study, which they have undertaken at the Department's request, of ways of simplifying, consolidating and codifying the law. Consideration is being given to proposals for changes to the law made by the Advisory Committee and in responses to their report. In doing this we are taking account of the provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998 and it may be necessary to await the outcome of legal challenges to the system currently before the courts before further proposals for changes to the law can be put forward.