§ Mr. CousinsTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the present strategic guidance for the provision of new dwellings in Tyne and Wear; what meetings have been held with the city of Newcastle upon Tyne on this matter; and what allowance has been made for the need for more student accommodation in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne.
§ Mr. BaldryThe strategic guidance for Tyne and Wear, published in 1989, stated that the five unitary development plans should provide for a basic requirement of 30,100 dwellings to be built between the beginning of 1988 and the end of 2001. The necessity to review and roll forward this strategic guidance has been discussed at a number of meetings with officers from the city of Newcastle upon Tyne as part of a continuing dialogue. The need for more student accommodation in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne will be one of the factors taken into account when setting new guidelines for housebuilding beyond the year 2001.