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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the new local plan-making system on protections for Green Belt land.

The new plan-making system is designed to ensure that local plans are faster to prepare and simpler for end users to access and understand.

The government's approach to Green Belt in England, including the circumstances in which it should be reviewed, is set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF).

It is for local planning authorities to set out policies for Green Belt in their local plans in accordance with national policy in the NPPF. This remains unchanged in the new local plan-making system.

When local planning authorities submit their local plan for examination, they are required to submit any supporting documents that they consider are relevant and necessary to support the examination of their plan. This might include supporting documents that form part of their evidence base.

In order to deliver the homes and growth the country needs, we expect all local planning authorities to make every effort to get up-to-date local plans in place as soon as possible. As a government, we have made a clear commitment to achieving universal local plan coverage. To that end, we have been clear that we intend to drive local plans to adoption as quickly as possible.

The government is committed to taking tough action to ensure local authorities have up-to-date local plans in place. The law provides intervention powers for the government to take action to ensure that plans are progressed. Any decisions taken in relation to intervention in plan-making are considered on a case-by-case basis and take into account local circumstances.