Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Minister of State for Housing and Planning on including in the Planning Bill requirements for local authorities to plan for the provision of allotments.

Ministers are considering how to best take forward proposals for planning reform, and an announcement on next steps will be made in due course.

The importance of local green spaces, including allotments, community gardens and orchards, is well established. They can help to bring about long-term improvements in people's health and wellbeing and promote local social interaction, as well as providing wider benefits for nature and the environment.