asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the recent policy planning statement 14 pronouncement in Northern Ireland by Lord Rooker has resulted in a speeding-up of planning decisions; and, if so, how. [HL662]

The introduction of draft PPS 14 has not speeded up planning decisions in Northern Ireland. There was a surge in applications in divisional planning offices covering rural areas just before the draft policy was published. However, the underlying trend is down. It is also important to note more generally in this context that processing times for applications are influenced by a variety of factors, including the statutory requirement to advertise proposals, neighbour notification arrangements, the need to consult statutory and non-statutory bodies, consideration of all responses and representations received, the complexity of the planning issues raised, and the level of demand in the system as a whole at any one time.