§ 81. Mr. SumbergTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to improve and make more cost-effective planning inquiries, particularly major planning inquiries; and if he will seek to introduce a power for inspectors at such inquiries to commission independent expert research not requested by parties to the inquiry.
§ Mr. WaldegraveNew procedure rules for planning inquiries were laid before both Houses on 16 June. 1 refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr. Patnick) on that date at columns247–48. A major objective of the new rules is 1:0 speed up decision times by introducing time tabling provisions for the service of pie-inquiry statements and for the date by which the inquiry should open. There are also now provisions for the exchange of evidence before the start of the inquiry. The rules are supplemented by a code of practice giving additional guidance on the action required from the various participants in preparing for a major inquiry.
The rules do not give inspectors a specific power to commission independent research, but there is nothing to prevent them from inviting submissions on a particular issue. In general, however, it is for the parties to an inquiry to decide the scope and content of their evidence.