§ Mr. ToddTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps will be taken to integrate the planning of mineral requirements with the development of regional bodies. [60815]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe primary responsibility for mineral planning in England will remain with the county and unitary councils, which are the mineral planning authorities. But the extraction of minerals is already one of the topics covered in Regional Planning Guidance. This will continue under the new arrangements for the preparation of this guidance by the regional planning bodies, working with the Government Offices and regional stakeholders. We shall also be consulting next year on how the present arrangements for the sub-regional apportionment of the national guidelines on the provision of construction aggregates should be adapted to take account of the development of a stronger system of regional planning.