The Town and Country Planning (Enforcement) (Inquiries Procedure) (Wales) Rules 2003

Representatives of government departments at inquiry

15.—(1) Where the National Assembly, any Minister of the Crown or any government department has expressed in writing to the local planning authority a view on an appeal, and the authority refer to that view in a statement prepared pursuant to rule 8(1), the appellant may apply in writing, so as to be received not later than 4 weeks before the date of the inquiry, to the National Assembly for a representative of the National Assembly, Minister or department concerned to be made available at the inquiry.

(2) Where an application is made in accordance with paragraph (1), the National Assembly must make a representative available to attend the inquiry or, as the case may be, send the application to the Minister or department concerned, who must make a representative available to attend the inquiry.

(3) A person attending an inquiry as a representative pursuant to this rule must state the reasons for the expressed view and give evidence and will be subject to cross-examination to the same extent as any other witness.

(4) Nothing in paragraph (3) requires a representative of the National Assembly to answer any question which, in the opinion of the inspector, is directed to the merits of National Assembly policy or requires a representative of a Minister or government department to answer any question which, in the opinion of the inspector, is directed to the merits of government policy.