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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending the process for allotment disposal by local authorities.

Under the Allotments Act 1925, in order for local authorities to dispose of allotments they have to seek approval from the Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and a defined legal threshold must be met before approval. This includes: the allotment to be surplus to requirements, any waiting lists to be considered, public consultation to have occurred, and other local policies to have been considered. At present, we have made no formal assessment of the potential merits of amending the process for allotment disposal by local authorities.