§ Sir Dudley Smithasked the Prime Minister if she will make a statement on the current arrangements for co-ordination between the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of the Environment in the consideration of planning decisions affecting agricultural land or country areas of environmental amenity.
§ The Prime MinisterIndividual applications are, in the first instance, for individual local authorities to deal with, but there are well-established arrangements whereby local authorities consult MAFF, as well as many other bodies, in drawing up their development plans. There are also statutory requirements for consulting MAFF on applications for non-agricultural development on agricultural land.
If the application is called in there is a full opportunity for MAFF's case to be heard at a public inquiry, although the general policy is not to call in cases unless they raise planning issues of more than local importance.