§ Mr. Damian GreenTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the decision-making process for applications made under the Transport and Works Act 1992; and if he will make statement. [149987]
§ Mr. JamiesonMy Department consulted publicly last September on a package of measures designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the TWA process and we are currently considering the comments received with a view to implementing improvements during the course of the year. A key feature of our proposed changes is that they are designed to secure better and fuller information at an earlier stage. This will, in turn, help to ensure that we can reach decisions more quickly upon receipt of an inspector's report. We also intend to consult in the next few months on changes to the model clauses for TWA Orders, which will help to ensure that applications are in better shape when they come in.