§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has to allow for compensation for the owners of mineral extraction rights in circumstances where planning permission is refused on environmental grounds.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonIt is a fundamental principle of the planning system that compensation is not 425W payable for a refusal of planning permission. This would only encourage speculative applications. The right of appeal is available to all applicants for planning permission if they feel their application has been unjustifiably refused.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he will consider calling in all proposals to reopen and work mineral extraction rights to allow local public inquiries where there are substantial objections to the proposals.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonThe circumstances in which my right hon. Friend will consider calling in planning applications notified to him are set out in circular 29/1988 and the Town and Country Planning (Notification of Applications) (Scotland) Direction 1988. He has no plans to amend the circular or the direction.