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Mr. Skeet
asked the Secretary of State for the Environment why the average time taken for planning appeals in Bedfordshire in December 1973 was 31 weeks; and what steps are being taken to correct this.
Mr. Eldon Griffiths
Current delays on planning appeals are attributable mainly to the fact that the number coming into the Department has more than doubled during the past three years. Other causes of delay include those identified by Mr. George Dobry, QC, in his interim report on the development control system. My right hon. and learned Friend is considering various ways of improving the arrangements for dealing with appeals and has asked me to streamline as far as
| PERIOD AUGUST 1972—DECEMBER 1973 | |||||||
| Decisions reached by Rent Officers | |||||||
| Applications by Local Authorities | Not Registered | Registered | |||||
| London | … | … | … | … | 524 | 156 | 133 |
| Northern | … | … | … | … | 111 | 42 | 47 |
| Yorkshire | … | … | … | … | 186 | 77 | 77 |
| Manchester | … | … | … | … | 309 | 189 | 109 |
| Liverpool | … | … | … | … | 99 | 47 | 37 |
| West Midland | … | … | … | … | 235 | 105 | 82 |
| East Midland | … | … | … | … | 163 | 62 | 77 |
| Eastern | … | … | … | … | 644 | 443 | 110 |
| Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Cambridgeshire | 48 | 10 | 22 | ||||
| Thames Valley | … | … | … | … | 18 | — | 7 |
| Bristol | … | … | … | … | 291 | 110 | 103 |
| Devon and Cornwall | … | … | … | … | 221 | 124 | 58 |
| Southern | … | … | … | … | 226 | 120 | 85 |
| Surrey/Sussex | … | … | … | … | 145 | 64 | 48 |
| Kent | … | … | … | … | 52 | 1 | 27 |
| Wales | … | … | … | … | 134 | 42 | 54 |
| England and Wales | … | … | … | … | 3,406 | 1,592 | 1,071 |
possible administrative procedures within the Department.