In Parliament...

Baroness Sharples asks "Her Majesty's Government whether they are encouraging local councils to increase the number of allotments" ...[reply] 16/3/2009

Lindsay Hoyle, MP submits an Early Day Motion which "calls on the Government to ensure that all local authorities honour this statutory obligation in relation to allotments" 08/12/2008 (see if your MP signed it)

Questions to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government ...

Tony Baldry, MP - asks will he "take steps to ensure that local authorities provide allotments under the terms of the Allotments and Small Holdings Act 1908."...[reply] 10 Jun 2010

David Anderson, MP - asks will he "issue guidance to local authorities to encourage the allocation of more land for allotments"...[this question was not answered] 12 Nov 2009

Caroline Spelman, MP - asks what obligations local authorities have to provide sufficient allotment sites to meet demand ...[reply] 15/10/2009

and - what estimate he has made of the average waiting time for an applicant to secure a local authority allotment ...[reply] 15/10/2009

David Drew, MP - what plans she has to encourage the development of more allotments; what guidance she has provided to local authorities on this issue; and what research her Department has undertaken into the potential contribution of allotments to local food chains and sustainable community agriculture ...[reply] 8/6/2009

Bob Russell, MP -
what consideration she has given to strengthening the role of horticulture in (a) local development frameworks and (b) regional spatial strategies; and if she will make a statement ...[reply] 29/4/2009

Andrew George, MP - what plans she has to ensure parish and town councils which wish to provide allotments for residents are able to do so ...[reply] 20/3/2009

Stewart Jackson, MP - what her Department's policy on the sale for development of allotments is ...[reply] 12/3/2009

Caroline Spelman, MP - what requirements there are upon local authorities to provide allotments for the use of local residents.
...[reply] 11/2/2009

Roger Williams, MP - what area of land in each (a) constituency and (b) region of England was used as allotments in each of the last three years ...[reply] 4/2/09

Tim Farron, MP - how many allotment allocations are vacant in each constituency ...[reply] 22/1/09

Adrian Sanders, MP - what steps her Department is taking to increase the supply of allotments ...[reply] 13/1/09

Ian Gibson, MP - what plans she has to bring forward legislative proposals on the size and number of allotments provided by local authorities ...[reply] 16/12/08

David Anderson, MP - what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on the provision of allotments ...[reply] 16/06/08

John Leech, MP secures Commons debate on the provision of allotments by local authorities ...[5/11/2008]

Bob Russel, MP asks the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward proposals to increase food production through (a) agriculture, (b) horticulture, (c) allotments and (d) residential gardens; and if he will make a statement ...[reply] 29/9/2008

Ben Chapman, MP secures a Commons debate on allotment provision.
...[more] 22/7/2008

David Drew, MP asks the Secretary of State for DEFRA "Will he talk to his colleagues in the Department for Communities and Local Government about the importance of the garden, which has been underestimated, and in particular about reassessing the role of allotments, because many people would grow their own produce but have not had the opportunity to do so?" ...[reply] 12/06/08

Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have issued guidance to local authorities on what constitutes a "sufficient number of allotments" under Section 23(1) of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908; and

How many local authorities provide at least 0.5 acres of allotment land per thousand residents, in line with the interpretation of "a sufficient number of allotments" in Section 23(1) of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 proposed by the Thorpe report of 1969...[reply] 13/05/08

Ben Chapman's written questions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
  • what assessment he has made of the relationship between the use of allotments and reduction of carbon dioxide emissions ...[reply] 23/10/2008
  • what assessment he has made of the environmental effects which may arise from the maintenance of allotments ...[reply] 29/9/2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the public health effects of people maintaining allotments ...[reply] 17/9/2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
  • if she will consider introducing measures requiring local authorities (a) to keep figures on (i) the number of allotment sites in their areas and (ii) the length of waiting lists for an allotment and (b) to provide an annual return to Parliament incorporating such data ...[reply]
  • if she will consider initiating an allotment survey with mandatory participation on the part of local authorities ...[reply] 10/07/08
  • what guidance she has issued to local authorities on the use of waiting lists for allotments ...[reply] 9/7/2008
  • whether she has had recent discussions with those local authorities which have a waiting list for allotments on their provision of allotments ...[reply] 3/7/2008
  • whether she plans to ask local authorities for information on local quality and quantity provision standards for allotments as referred to in Planning and Policy Guidance Note 17 ...[reply]
  • if she will make exceptional funding available for the provision of allotments ...[reply]
  • what mechanisms exist to ensure that local authorities provide an adequate number of allotments ...[reply] 30/6/2008
  • what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the funding provided for allotments ...[reply] 23/4/2008
  • when the green space database will be (a) completed and (b) available for use by local authorities in relation to allotments." ...[reply] 23/4/2008
  • if she will (a) collate information on allotment provision held at a local level, (b) encourage local authorities to devote more resources to providing and maintaining allotments and (c) increase funding for allotment sites ...[reply] 3/4/2008