HC Deb 19 June 1979 vol 968 cc468-9W
Sir Raymond Gower

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he will take to lessen the time taken for planning inquiries.

Mr. Fox

The time taken at planning inquiries varies greatly according to the nature of the case and cannot easily be reduced without risking damage to the interests of the parties. On the other hand, we are seeing what can be done to reduce the time taken in arranging inquiries and in reaching decisions once the inquiry is over.