To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding the Government are going to make available to create eco-towns; and how such funding is going to be distributed. (166299)

CSR07 allocated £1.7 billion of targeted funding over the CSR07 period for infrastructure in Growth Areas, the Thames Gateway, New Growth Points and eco-towns, including £300 million to continue the Community Infrastructure Fund. Decisions on the split and distribution of growth funding will be announced in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has given to local authorities on eco-town proposals. (166300)

In July we published the Housing Green Paper and as part of this the Eco-towns Prospectus. The Prospectus sets out the vision and outline criteria for eco-towns, and how the Government can support projects. In August my officials also wrote to the chief executives of local authorities in the English regions, to stakeholders and other interested parties setting out how we would invite proposals for additional new growth points and eco-towns.