§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment which sections of the Minerals Act 1981 have not yet been implemented; and in each case why this is so.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneSections 1 and 2(1) of the 1981 Act have not yet been brought into force inline with assurances given when the Bill was before Parliament that this would not be done until certain amendments had been made to the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1977. Implemention of sections 3, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 17 and part of section 15 is dependent upon parliamentary approval to Minerals Compensation Regulations which I hope will be laid before the House shortly. Section 18 applies the provisions of the Bill to the Isles of Scilly. Sections 19 to 32 of the Act apply to Scotland, and progress with implementation of these sections is therefore the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland.
§ Mr. Nicholas Wintertonasked the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he has any plans to introduce amemdments to the Minerals Act 1981 along the lines suggested by the County Planning Officers' Society following its survey of mineral planning authorities in England and Wales.
§ Mr. MacfarlaneI have no plans to do so.