To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many appeals against planning appeal decisions were upheld in the High Court in each of the last five years; and in respect of which such appeals all legal proceedings have been completed. (316050)

The numbers of High Court challenges to planning appeal decisions over the last five years were as follows:

2008-09: 97 challenges decided of which 31 were successful;

2007-08: 64 challenges decided of which 18 were successful;

2006-07: 69 challenges decided of which 37 were successful;

2005-06: 60 challenges decided of which 21 were successful; and

2004-05: 74 challenges decided of which 29 were successful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what monitoring his Department undertakes of the decisions taken by inspectors at planning appeals. (316051)

The Department monitors the professional quality standards of the Planning Inspectorate through the Advisory Panel on Standards. The Panel prepares an annual report for the Secretary of State on matters affecting the maintenance of quality within the Inspectorate. In doing so panel members have access to inspectors' reports and decisions and to other relevant material associated with resolved complaints, High Court challenges or Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman cases.

The target is that 99 per cent. of the Inspectorate's casework should be free from justified complaint.