Question from Institute of Quarrying Question Time on 18 February.
Neil Plant: ‘ Do you think planning regulations in England and Wales discourage multi-nationals from investing?
Cedric Hollinsworth: ‘The situation in the UK may seem harsh, but it can be more difficult in other countries so the basic answer to your question is no – multinationals will focus on return on investment’
Chris Dobbs: ‘There are people on the continent who are envious of the UK system, and while it is expensive to get permissions, this represents a relatively small element of overall costs, but you may not get the same answer in five years’ time’