asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress has been made on the commitment made in the Living Places: Cleaner, Greener, Safer report by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in October 2002 to improve information on allotments by updating the 1996 survey. [HL4216]

We commissioned the University of Derby in February 2004 to undertake an update of the 1996 English allotment survey. The survey was expanded to cover community gardens and city farms. Fieldwork was carried out between March 2004 and mid-June 2005. A summary of the key findings was published on 28 September 2006. Additionally, we are developing a green space database to provide a more comprehensive information base on green spaces, including allotments.