asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by the Minister for Housing and Planning, Yvette Cooper, on 2 October 2006 (HC Deb, 2542W), what are the reasons for (a) a fall in derelict land and buildings in the east of England from 2,610 hectares in 2001 to 1,740 hectares in 2002 and a rise in 2003 to 2,420 hectares; and (b) the changes in the number of hectares in the south-west from 1,870 in 2001, to 1,630 in 2002, 2,250 in 2003 and 1,900 in 2004. [HL1294]

Changes in the amounts of derelict land and buildings in a region are the result of the development of some sites and by new sites coming into scope. It is also the case that estimates for the early years of the survey are less reliable than those from more recent years because they were based on responses from fewer local authorities, as shown in the table below. An allowance is made for missing data but this is necessarily approximate.