Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what has been the average time taken to respond to public inquiries by her Department in each of the last five years; and whether she plans to introduce measures to improve those times.

Defra has not issued a response to any public inquiry that has concluded within the last five years.

Public inquiries are an important mechanism to allow the Government to learn lessons for the future. Defra takes recommendations from public inquiries seriously and recognises the importance of taking time to thoroughly consider its response.