§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the average length of the delay in confirming compulsory purchase orders for slum clearance both nationally and in the North-West; and if, in view of the serious dissatisfaction with the very long delays, he will take immediate steps to end them, if necessary by appointing more staff.
§ Mr. ArmstrongThe average time to decide slum clearance compulsory purchase orders is 11 months for opposed orders and 5½ months for unopposed ones. The corresponding times for the North-West are 21 and six months. Extra staff have been allocated to the North-West regional office to deal with the work.
§ Mr. Frank Allaunasked the Secretary of State for the Environment to what extent the long delays in confirming compulsory purchase orders for slum clearance result from a policy of cutting back public expenditure.
§ Mr. ArmstrongNot at all. Recent delays in the North-West have been due242W to a threefold increase in the number of orders submitted.