To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether district valuers have any function in evaluating the financial viability of development projects being considered by local planning authorities for planning permission; and if he will make a statement.
has been able to collect. Figures for 1989 and 1990 are not complete as no annual report on Commission monitoring of the application of Community law has yet been published for these years.
It can be seen from the table that the United Kingdom has an excellent record compared with other member states. Excluding Portugal, where most Community environmental legislation has been applicable only since 1989, only Denmark has been taken to the ECJ fewer times for breaches of environmental directives.
District valuers are not formally required to evaluate the financial viability of development projects being considered by local planning authorities for planning permission. There is nothing, however, to prevent local authorities from seeking such advice from district valuers, but it is not a criterion for consideration for planning purposes.