§ Paul FlynnTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what change has taken place since 1997 in the percentage of land in England that is used for urban purposes. [71966]
§ Mr. McNultyIn 1997 and 1998 land classified as urban increased by around 5,600 hectares a year, which is less than 0.5 per cent. of the land used for urban purposes and about 0.04 per cent. of England. The information is drawn from the Department's Land Use Change Statistics which in rural areas have a 5-year revision cycle so a complete picture is not available for more recent years.