Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the need for increased quarrying capacity to meet the stone demand for new house building.

The National Planning Policy Framework makes clear that mineral planning authorities should plan for a steady and adequate supply of minerals (aggregates), for example stone which is used in construction. All mineral planning authorities in England are members of one of the nine Aggregate Working Parties. These Parties publish annual reports which provide survey data on the extraction, sales, supply and forecast demand for aggregates in their area.