§ Mr. Soleyasked the Prime Minister how many times since May 1979 (a) the Secretary of State for the Environment and (b) the Secretary of State for Transport have been found by the courts to be in breach of the law; and if she will give the date of the final judgment in each case.
§ The Prime MinisterMany proceedings are brought against the Secretaries of State, particularly in relation to town and country planning (Environment) and highway repairs and maintenance (Transport). Like most proceedings against Ministers of the Crown and Government Departments they are handled primarily by the Treasury Solicitor's Department. The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate expense.
Some information relating to actions by way of judicial review and on planning appeals was given in answer to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Sir G. Finsberg) on 28 April 1986, at column 322. Further information on planning appeals may be found in annual reports of the chief planning inspector.