Written question asked by Lord Coaker (Labour) on Tuesday, 13 February 2001, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 26 February 2001. It was answered by Baroness Hughes of Stretford (Labour) on Monday, 26 February 2001 on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

Dept of the Environment Transport and the Regions

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, what estimate he has made of the reserves of (a) red and (b) yellow sandstone with existing planning permissions. - Includes figure.

Answer: Mr. Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the reserves of (a) red and (b) yellow sandstone with existing planning permissions. [150817] Ms Beverley Hughes: The Secretary of State has made no estimate of the reserves of (a) red and (b) yellow sandstone with existing planning permissions. A survey of aggregate minerals for 1997 in England and Wales, including permitted reserves, was undertaken by Minerals Planning Authorities. Results were collated and published for my Department by the British Geological Survey. These included figures for rock reserves in each region. Permitted reserves of sandstone in England totalled 244 million tonnes, mainly in the North West, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber Regions. Specific types of sandstone were not identified in this survey.

Secondary information