§ Mr. GrayTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs prior to the publication of Planning Policy Statement 22 about its Energy Crops Grant scheme under the England Rural Development Programme. [188464]
§ Keith HillOfficials in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs were involved in several discussions relating to the contents of Planning Policy Statement 22 (PPS22) prior to its publication. However, as PPS22 is a1434W national planning policy statement, and the planting of crops, for whatever purpose, is not a planning matter, the Energy Crops Grant Scheme was not specifically discussed.