§ Mr. Andrew TurnerTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what were the median and upper and lower decile periods between(a) the receipt and determination of planning applications, (b) appeals against refusal of planning permission and inquiries into those appeals, (c) inquiries into appeals against refusal of planning permission and inspectors' reports thereon and(d) publication of inspectors' reports and determinations by Ministers in the last year for which information is available. [72320]
§ Mr. McNultyAvailable information for the last financial year (1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002) is as follows:
(a) Data are not collected from local authorities on the time taken to determine every planning application. Information from district authorities is collected on the number of applications decided within eight weeks of receipt, between eight and 13 weeks and over 13 weeks.
1008W
2001–02 Percentage Planning applications decided Less than eight weeks 65 Eight to 13 weeks 18 More than 13 weeks 17 (b) and (c)
2001–02 Upper decile Median decile Lower decile (b) From start date (notice of appeal) to inquiry in weeks 15 19 31 (c) From start date to submission of report in weeks 28 58 160 (d) Information on cases which fall to be determined by the Secretary of State (recovered appeals and called in planning applications) is available on the following basis:
Number of recovered appeals decided within eight weeks, between eight and 13 weeks, and over 13 weeks from receipt of inspector's report 2001–02 Percentage Recovered appeals cases determined by the Secretary of State Less than eight weeks 44 Eight to 13 weeks 13 More than 13 weeks 43
Number of called in planning applications decided within 13 weeks, between 13 and 20 weeks, and over 20 weeks from receipt of inspector's report 2001–02 Percentage Called in planning applications cases determined by the Secretary of State Less than 13 weeks 36 13 to 20 weeks 18 More than 20 weeks 46
§ Mr. BlizzardTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister when the proposals for the revision of Part M of the Building Regulations will be published for consultation. [72870]
§ Mr. LeslieMy officials, with the assistance of the Building Regulations Advisory Committee, have been preparing proposals for amendments to Part M of the Building Regulations relating to access for disabled people. The proposals for public consultation will be published during the summer recess. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House, and the document will be available online on the website of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, and in hard copy on request. The document will be available in a range of formats to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities.
§ Miss McIntoshTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received on his proposals for planning reforms. [72091]
§ Mr. McNultyThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has published a comprehensive statement on the outcome of consultation on the planning Green Paper and copies are available in the Library.
§ Mr. SheermanTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures he intends to bring forward to use the planning system to raise the required density of dwellings in new developments. [72816]
§ Mr. McNultyPlanning Policy Guidance note 3: Housing, states in paragraph 58 that local authorities should "avoid developments that make inefficient use of land (those at less than 30 dwellings per hectare net)".
1009WThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to intervene in planning applications for housing that involve a density of less than 30 dwellings per hectare.
§ Dr. WhiteheadTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the way in which proposals to reconcile provision for the retention by local authorities of tariffs for the granting of planning permission on major developments as set out in the document, "Reforming Planning Obligations", can be implemented alongside proposals for the reform of the local authority capital finance system as set out in the document, Local Government Finance Formula Grant Distribution-A Consultation Paper. [70111]
§ Mr. LeslieWe do not consider that there is a significant relationship between proposals on the retention of receipts from planning tariffs and the options for reforming how revenue support for capital finance is distributed, as set out in the Formula Grant distribution consultation paper. Therefore no such assessment has been made.