15.
asked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what are the latest available annual figures of agricultural classified land lost to development in England and Wales and the proportion of this which is grade I and grade II.
About 30,000 hectares of land in England and Wales go out of agricultural use each year. I regret that we do not keep statistics of land losses by grades of land.
I should have preferred that answer in Imperial terms, but does my hon. Friend agree that that is far too much land? Does he agree with the simple proposition that it is wrong on economic as well as environmental grounds for one acre—metrically adjusted—to be developed while there are hundreds and thousands of derelict acres lying unused in city centres?
I agree with my hon. Friend that 75,000 acres is far too many lost to agricultural use. He is right to say that every acre of land that has been previously developed and can now be built on again is an acre of agricultural land saved. I am working in conjunction with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment to seek to achieve that end.
When considering the loss of agricultural land, will my hon. Friend consider encouraging the regeneration of hill pastures, possibly by encouraging the use of lime?
My right hon. Friend seeks to encourage the increase in production of all agricultural land in the country.