§ Mr. BaldryTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many houses he estimates will need to be built in Oxfordshire by 2016. [96561]
§ Ms Beverley HughesRequirements for future house building in Oxfordshire are currently under review as part of the preparation of Regional Planning Guidance for the South East. This guidance will set out housing requirements by county, including Oxfordshire, for the years 1996 to 2016. An independent Panel examined draft proposals prepared by local authorities at a Public Examination over the summer. The report setting out the conclusions of this panel has recently been received by the Secretary of State who will examine its recommendations very closely. It is anticipated that a draft8W version of regional planning guidance following on from this exercise will be published early in the new year, and a period of consultation on the proposals will allow interested parties to respond before full guidance is issued by the Secretary of State later in the year.