§ Mr. HeddleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what steps he takes to verify the returns of planning authorities to establish that they maintain a five-year housing land supply in accordance with the requirements of PPG3.
§ Mr. ChopeWe encourage planning authorities to carry out land availability studies jointly with representatives of the local housebuilding industry. Though my Department is not in a position to check the results in detail, we have no reason to doubt that joint studies give a broadly reliable picture of land availability.