HL Deb 11 March 2003 vol 645 cc177-8WA
Lord Clarke of Hampstead

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they accept the recommendations in the ninth report of the Advisory Panel on Standards for the Planning Inspectorate Executive Agency. [HL2082]

The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker)

I am pleased to announce the Government's acceptance of all the recommendations of the Advisory Panel on Standards (APOS) for the Planning Inspectorate Agency, as set out in the ninth annual report published in November 2002. APOS jointly advises the First Secretary of State and the First Minister of the Welsh Assembly Government on the maintenance and improvement of quality standards for the Planning Inspectorate.

The panel's main finding was that the demanding quality standard target, that 99 per cent of the inspectorate's casework should be free from justified complaints, was being maintained. However, the panel also made a number of recommendations on steps that could be taken to further enhance quality standards. These included improvements to training and procedures, which have already been implemented, and the introduction of arrangements to correct simple errors within decision letters which is included in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill currently before Parliament. The remaining recommendations are all part of a continuous process of training, development and monitoring, such as the introduction of a rolling customer satisfaction survey, to build on the experiences of users of the system.

I am particularly pleased to note the panel's comments on the good work of the inspectorate in encouraging diversity within the organisation, in promoting training interchange schemes to develop staff and in encouraging electronic access to information for the public and other interested parties through its Planning Portal project. These initiatives are playing an important part in the Government's wider initiative to promote planning as a positive instrument and to involve the community more effectively.

I commend the work of the panel and thank them for their helpful recommendations, and look forward to seeing further results of their hard work over the next year.