Planning (Hansard, 19 March 2003)

§ Mr. Drew
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what is the timetable of expenditure for the additional monies allocated to planning. [103821]

§ Mr. McNulty
The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister hopes to pay the allocations of planning delivery grant for 2003–04 to local authorities and national parks in early April and to the regional planning bodies in early May.

§ Mr. Drew
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the twin-funding of planning applications. [103822]

§ Mr. McNulty
Planning services are funded from contributions by local taxpayers through council tax, precepts and levies, grant from central government (including the planning delivery grant), and fees paid by some applicants. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently undertaking a review of the fee regime which, among other things, is looking at the relative burdens on the contributors.

§ Mr. Drew
To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with local authorities and the Local Government Association on the subject of third party right of appeal, with specific reference to local authorities granting their own permission and departures from the local plans. [103823]

§ Mr. McNulty
None. The Government's position on third party rights of appeal was set out in the Planning Green Paper (published in December 2001). A wide range of bodies, including local authorities and the Local Government Association commented on the Green Paper.