To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with (i) Ministerial colleagues and (ii) officials in the Department of Communities and Local Government on the siting of proposed eco-towns on land with environmental stewardship status. (251279)

33 eco-town proposals have been subjected to a cross-Government review process in which DEFRA, the Environment Agency and Natural England played a full role alongside Communities and Local Government. This review considered the potential environmental impacts of each proposal in terms of water supply, wastewater treatment, water quality, flood risk management, waste management, biodiversity and landscape. A number of the eco-town proposals reviewed included land under Environmental Stewardship.