§ Mr. David PorterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, in the light of his answer to the hon. Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) of 3 February,Official Report,columns 433,on the role of the planning system in releasing land for low-cost housing in rural areas, he will incorporate his answer into "Planning Policy, Guidance" of 7 January 1988, paragraph 16, in order to allow local authorities to establish permanent low-cost rural housing.
§ Mr. ChopeWe shall be incorporating my right hon. Friend's announcement into revised versions of PPG3 (land for housing) and PPG7 (rural enterprise and development) later this year. However, local planning authorities in rural areas are already entitled to treat local needs for low-cost housing as a material consideration in appropriate cases, on the strength of the recent announcement.