HC Deb 10 February 1982 vol 17 c405W
Mr. Cormack

asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many acres of agricultural land were lost to industrial, commercial, urban expansion and other uses during 1980 and 1981, respectively.

Mrs. Fenner

I regret that the information is not available in these precise terms.

For the five-year period ending in June 1980, the latest period for which information is available, the average annual net transfer of land out of agriculture in England is estimated to be:

Thousand Acres (Thousand Hectares)
Urban, industrial and
recreational development —20.8 (—8.4)
Government departments +0.4 (+0.1)
Forestry and woodlands +0.2 (+0.1)
Other adjustments —25.6 (—10.3)
Total —45.8 (—18.5)