Part of Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government – in the House of Commons am 2:30 pm ar 20 Ionawr 2009.
Iain Wright
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Communities and Local Government)
2:30,
20 Ionawr 2009
I am reluctant to comment on specific proposals because of the quasi-judicial nature of the function of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in this context, but I repeat what I have said in earlier responses. We have robustly defended the green belt, and we have actually expanded it since 1997. We see it as a major, powerful planning tool to help prevent urban sprawl. It is absolutely essential, and we will continue to defend it wherever necessary.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
