To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to her Department’s observations of 22 February 2007 on the petition presented to the House on 26 April by the hon. Member for North-East Milton Keynes whether her statement that overall responsibility for planning policies and delivery in Milton Keynes remains with Milton Keynes council applies to all land within the boundary of the unitary authority. (126225)

[holding answer 8 March 2007]: Milton Keynes council is responsible for all local planning policies i.e. development plan documents that apply within the boundary of the unitary authority. This includes those local planning policies which form part of the development plan for the purposes of section 38 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004. The relevant planning policies within the Regional Spatial Strategy, in particular the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Regional Strategy, also forms part of the development plan for the Milton Keynes area.