HC Deb 28 July 1997 vol 299 c47W
Mr. Grieve

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions to what extent the green belt has altered in size since 1979. [10985]

Mr. Raynsford

We do not record the size of green belts on an annual basis. Figures for England for 1979, 1989 and 1993 are available in the "Digest of Environmental Statistics" No. 18 published in 1996. In 1979 there were 7,215 sq km of green belt land. This had more than doubled to 15,557 sq km in 1993.