§ Mr. Michael Lathamasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will outline the progress made in each region of England towards the publication of regional planning strategies, indicating the actual date of publication, the date of his formal decision on the strategy, or, in the case of uncompleted studies, the date of expected publication.
§ Mr. John SilkinThe state of progress on planning strategies in each region of England is as follows
NORTHERN REGION: A team to draft a strategy has been commissioned jointly by my Department, the Regional Economic Planning Council and the region's existing structure planning authorities and is now being recruited. Its work is expected to take some two and a half years.NORTH-WEST REGION: A strategic plan has been drafted by a team commissioned on a similar tripartitie basis and publication is expected in the second half of April. My right hon. Friend will in due course give his views on the proposals in the light of comments received from everyone concerned.YORKSHIRE AND HUMBERSIDE REGION: A strategy to 1981 prepared by the Economic Planning Council was approved in July 1971 in general terms by the previous administration who asked however for certain further studies. The Economic Planning Council is in process of discussing with the new county councils the question of revisions to the strategy in the light of the results of those studies. It is expected that a further submission will be made within the next two years.WEST MIDLANDS REGION: A strategy prepared by the West Midlands Planning Authorities Conference was submitted to the then Secretary of State in November 1973 and approved by him, with comments and reservations, in January of this year. The strategy was published on 8th March.EAST MIDLANDS REGION: A study by the Regional Economic Planning Council was published in 1969 and has been followed by local authority sub-regional studies for Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire-Derbyshire. No formal strategy for the whole Region is so far projected.EAST ANGLIA REGION: A team commissioned jointly by central Government, the Economic Planning Council and the existing structure planning authorities has completed a strategy report which will be published in the late summer for public comment.SOUTH-WEST REGION: The Economic Planning Council's strategic settlement pattern is expected to be published shortly. Further publications recommending strategic policies for particular sectors of the regional economy will be produced in due course.28WSOUTH-EAST REGION: The Strategic Plan for the South-East, produced by a joint team under the aegis of central Government, the Standing Conference of London and South Eastern Planning Authorities, and the South-East Economic Planning Council, was approved by the then Secretary of State in October 1971. A monitoring group has produced a first report on the strategy—published in May 1973—and is continuing to assess the strategy, in consultation with the Standing Conference.