HC Deb 11 September 2003 vol 410 cc476-7W
Mr. Dodds

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officials are employed in the Planning Appeals Commission, broken down by grade. [127413]

Mr. Spellar

The Planning Appeals Commission consists of 15 commissioners and four call-off panel commissioners, who are all statutory officeholders. There are also 18 administrative support staff who are civil servants provided by the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister. The breakdown by grade is as follows: 1 Chief Administrative Officer (Deputy Principal) 1 Executive Officer I 3 Executive Office II 7 Administrative Officers 2 Administrative Assistants 1 Personal 3 Typists

Mr. Dodds

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the average length of time taken by the Planning Service in Northern Ireland to issue a final decision in respect of planning applications in(a) Northern Ireland and (b) Belfast over the last three years. [125553]

Angela Smith

The average time taken by the Department of the Environment's Planning Service to issue a final decision in respect of planning applications in Northern Ireland, and in Belfast over the last three years is as follows:

2000–01 2001–02 2002–03
Average time in Northern Ireland
Total average days 139 134 137
Total average weeks 20 19 20
Average time in Belfast
Total average days 143 134 134
Total average weeks 20 19 19

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