§ Mr. FitzpatrickTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will publish statistics on the extent of Green Belt land in each local authority. [117772]
§ Ms Beverley HughesI am today publishing estimates of the extent of Green Belt land in each local authority in England in the Information Bulletin 'Local Planning Authority Green Belt Statistics: England 1997'. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House.
The bulletin shows that there was very little change in the extent of Green Belt land between 1993 and 1997—an estimated net increase of just 1,850 hectares. This net increase is significantly less than that indicated by a comparison between 1993 figures published in PPG2, which have now been shown to be inaccurate, and the figures for 1997 calculated using digital (computerised) boundaries. Separately, we estimate that some 30,000 hectares have been added or proposed for addition to the Green Belt since May 1997.