§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) when he expects to publish the new MPG6; [36873]
(2) if he will make an interim statement on MPG6. [36871]
§ Ms KeebleThe Green Paper "Planning: delivering a fundamental change" has proposed that all planning guidance, including that for minerals, should be reviewed. The consultation on the Green Paper will end on 18 March 2002 after which decisions will be taken, in the light of the responses, on the nature of future guidance and appropriate timetables for producing it. The Green Paper proposes that current minerals planning guidance notes826W (MPGs), including those on specific minerals such as MPG6 on aggregates, should become technical or system notes to support a statement of core policy in MPG1. Given that this could delay the present revision of MPG6, whatever form that might take, it has been decided that the quantitative national and regional guidelines for aggregates provision within MPG6 should be revised as a matter of urgency, ahead of the revision of policy in MPG1. Work is currently taking place on that basis and it is hoped that a consultation draft of this revision will be published in the late spring of this year.
§ Mr. HealdTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what the timetable is for the review of MPG1; [36872]
(2) if he will make an interim statement on the review of MPG1. [36876]
§ Ms KeebleThe Green Paper "Planning: delivering a fundamental change" has proposed that all planning guidance, including that for minerals, should be reviewed, and that priority should be given, among the minerals planning guidance, to the headline guidance on mineral working and restoration in MPG1. The Green Paper proposes that these reviews should be time-tabled over the next two years. The consultation on the Green Paper will end on 18 March 2002 after which decisions will be taken, in the light of the responses, on the action to be taken on its proposals.