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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how the commitment to safeguard the Best and Most Versatile agricultural land will be applied to planning decisions called in by the Secretary of State .

The government places great importance upon our agricultural land and food production.

The National Planning Policy Framework sets out how the best and most versatile agricultural land should be reflected in planning policies and decisions. We are maintaining the existing strong protection for the best and most versatile agricultural land. The Framework is clear that where significant development of agricultural land is demonstrated to be necessary, areas of poorer quality land should be preferred to those of a higher quality.

This will, where relevant, be a material consideration in planning decisions, including those made by the Secretary of State.