To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate his Department has made of the area of farmland of grade (a) 1, (b) 2, (c) 3a, (d) 3b, (e) 4 and (f) 5 taken for development in each of the last five years. (317138)

Annual information on the estimated area of agricultural land in hectares changing to a developed use in England for the most recent five years available is given in the following table:

Information on how much of the above changes were from each grade of agricultural land could be provided only at disproportionate cost.