§ Mr. Maxwell-Hyslopasked the Attorney-General how much longer the inquiry into the North Devon link road proposals will be delayed by the Lord Chancellor's failure to appoint an inspector and co-ordinator; whether, or when, a pre-inquiry meeting will be held; and whether he is aware of the avoidable blight caused by inactivity in this matter.
§ Mr. HoramI have been asked to reply.
Making arrangements for public inquiries is a complex business. It is dependent on a number of factors, of which the appointment of an inspector is only one. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Transport and the Environment are conscious of the problems of blight and hope to make an announcement in the autumn about the date, venue and appointment of the inspector, as indicated in my reply to the hon. Member on 26th June. The Lord Chancellor has not yet been asked to nominate an inspector and I apologise for misinforming the hon. Member in my reply to his Question on 26th June.—[Vol. 952, c. 425–7.]