To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local authorities that sign up to growth point status are committed to support accelerated housing development in Green Belt areas if these are included in draft Regional Spatial Strategy allocations. (183438)

The New Growth Points initiative will encourage well-planned, sustainable growth and much of the new development will be focused on brownfield sites within existing town and city boundaries. Further, New Growth Point status is tested by the planning system and the implications for any green belt land would be subject to consultation and examination of the relevant proposals through the regional planning process and local development frameworks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a local authority's proposal to gain growth point status must involve acceptance of housing growth to at least the level proposed by the Regional Spatial Strategy; and whether there is a requirement for this growth to be accelerated. (183439)

Expressions of interest for growth points will need to offer significant, strategic growth which is additional to previous plans and which takes into account changes in plan levels between 2003, the current round of RSS reviews and the Housing Green Paper which sets a new national target of delivering 240,000 homes a year by 2016. The rate of housing growth will be determined by the regional planning process and local development frameworks.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what expectations her Department has of local authorities who apply for and accept growth point status in terms of (a) accelerated and (b) additional housing growth compared with the levels of growth proposed by the relevant Regional Spatial Strategy. (183440)

The Housing Green Paper sets a new target of delivering 240,000 homes a year by 2016 but the rate of housing growth in specific local and regional areas will be determined by the regional planning process and local development frameworks. Potential growth points are expected to offer significant additional growth to previous plans that take into account changes in plan levels between 2003, the current round of RSS reviews and the Housing Green Paper national targets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department has budgeted for additional funding to local authorities with growth point status; and for what purposes local authorities would be permitted to use these additional funds. (183441)

The Department will be investing £1.7 billion across Growth Areas, the Thames Gateway, Growth Points and Eco-Towns during the CSR07 period, and it is intended to announce funding specific to the 2nd round of growth points in the spring. This will be subject to similar funding conditions to that for existing growth points, announced in December.