§ Mr. Cashasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress is being made in revising the current guidelines on the use of agricultural land so as to facilitate its use in appropriate circumstances for other purposes in the light of current production levels.
§ Mr. GummerThere is little I can add to the answer given to my hon. Friend on 6 February. The Government remain committed to their policy for the protection of agricultural land. We do, however, recognise the need to strike a balance between competing interests and in responding to requests from planning authorities for advice on development proposals we try to adopt a flexible approach.