To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bromley and Chislehurst of 30 October 2008, Official Report, column 1291W, whether the proposed Green Belt amendments involve the removal or weakening of Green Belt protection. (235863)

A partial revision of the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy has been submitted for an Examination in Public due to start in April 2009. Matters including the broad locations for new housing and whether amendments to the green belt are justified will be debated at the independent examination and it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the merits of any proposals now.

Any proposed alteration to the extent of a green belt would have to meet the stringent policy criteria set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 2, “Green Belts”.