§ Ms AthertonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of local authority planning applications are currently dealt with under the delegated powers procedure(a) in total and (b) by local authority; and what assessment he has made of the adequacy of these procedures for planning matters. [8461]
§ Mr. RaynsfordMy Department is this year collecting, for the first time, statistics on the number of planning applications which were decided by planning officers under delegated powers by each local authority. This information should allow an assessment, over time, of the relationship between the numbers of applications decided by local authorities, their performance and their use of delegated powers. The first figures will be collated at the end of September. I will ensure the figures are forwarded to my honourable Friend as soon as possible after they have been compiled and checked.