§ Mr. Heddleasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has reviewed the effect on appeals of his power to impose a timetable in respect of enforcement notice appeals.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneMy right hon. Friend is satisfied, from the experience gained since January 1982 of exercising his discretionary powers in section 88(6) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1971, that both parties to enforcement notice appeals now co-operate more readily in the appeals process because they recognise that failure to do so may result in dismissal of an appeal or quashing of an enforcement notice. My right hon. Friend's discretionary powers have only been used on 26 occasions in processing more than 12,000 enforcement appeals since January 1982, which appears to confirm the value of these powers as an effective sanction in the special circumstances of enforcement appeals.