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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the potential benefits for the environment of brownfield regeneration rather than development on green fields.

Defra and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government worked closely during the revision of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) last year. The NPPF places a strong emphasis on making effective use of land, with authorities expected to make as much use as possible of suitable brownfield sites before considering development on green fields.