Written question asked by Gordon Prentice (Labour), in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 20 February 1997. It was answered by James Clappison (Conservative) on Thursday, 20 February 1997 on behalf of the Department of the Environment.

Dept of the Environment

Question: If he will map comprehensively the tranquil areas of England as defined by the Council for the Protection of Rural England; and what steps he is taking to preserve the tranquility of those areas.

Answer: Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will map comprehensively the tranquil areas of England as defined by the Council for the Protection of Rural England; and what steps he is taking the preserve the tranquillity of those areas. [16227] Mr. Clappison: We have no plans to map the tranquil areas of England. Ministers took great interest in the Council for the Protection of Rural England's tranquil area maps project and fully recognise the importance of areas of the countryside where people can go for peace and tranquillity. The Government's White Paper on rural England sets out our framework for maintaining a proper balance between development and protection across the whole of the countryside. The forthcoming revision of planning policy guidance note 7 will emphasise that a central tenet of sustainable development is the integration of development with protection of the environment.

Secondary information