§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the South West Regional Planning Conference regarding Gloucestershire's Structure Plan; if he plans to accept Gloucestershire's revised allocation of 50,000 houses between 1991 and 2011; and if he will make a statement. [47748]
§ Mr. CabornThe then Secretary of State issued Regional Planning Guidance for the South West (RPG 10) in 1994 which included a provision for Gloucestershire of 53,000 houses on the advice of the South West Regional Planning Conference. The Conference is currently preparing a draft strategy for the period to 2016 and officials of the Government Office for the South West attend as observers on behalf of the Secretary of State.
The requirement for housing will be tested at the forthcoming Structure Plan inquiry which is due to begin on 8 September.