asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the breakdown of co-operation on planning applications between the Department of the Environment of Northern Ireland and the Fermanagh district council.

Fermanagh district council has decided not to carry out its consultative role in regard to planning applications until a categoric assurance is given that present planning policies are to be relaxed in accordance with recommendations made in the recent reports of the Committee on Rural Policy.It has not been possible to give this assurance as no decisions have yet been made on the recommendations of the report but the Government hope to be able to make an announcement shortly.