§ Mr. BurnsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will assess the impact his statement of 7 March 2000 on housebuilding will have on the Chelmsford Local Authority area; and, as a result of his statement, how many houses will have to be built in Chelmsford,(a) over the next five years and (b) over the next 16 years. [114782]
§ Ms Beverley HughesI would refer the hon. Member to the reply which my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning gave on 13 March 2000,Official Report, column 35W. On 20 March we will be publishing the full details of our proposed changes to regional planning guidance in the South East. These will include an illustrative breakdown of housing within the region to county level, including an annual rate of provision for Essex. We will be seeking the views of the local authorities in the region, through SERPLAN, and those of other interested parties on that distribution.