Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2024 to Question 24506, on Chinese Embassy: Planning Permission, what guidance (a) her Department and (b) the Planning Inspectorate has issued to planning inspectors on deciding how much weight to give to representations that are believed have been submitted as a result of foreign interference.

Section 1.8 of the Planning Inspectorate’s ‘Called-in planning applications: procedural guide’ explains the role of the Inspector at the inquiry and what they will take into account.

The weight to be given to any representation received is a matter for Inspectors based on the specific circumstances of the case, and the information and evidence before them, which includes written representations and those representations given verbally at an event.