Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Foster of Bath and Lord Stunell

Monday 18th March 2013 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove) (LD)]

15. What steps he is taking to address the gap between the energy efficiency standards for new homes and their energy performance.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Don Foster)]

It is vital that new homes achieve the levels of energy performance expected, and not all are. The industry has put together a programme of work led by the zero carbon hub to identify problems and put in place solutions. The Department is pleased to be able to support, through a grant, the hub’s work.

[Andrew Stunell]

I welcome my right hon. Friend’s words. I draw his attention to the Prime Minister’s speech on 4 February to the Royal Society, in which he set out the Government’s intention to be the most energy efficient country in Europe. Will my right hon. Friend take that as strong encouragement to publish the revisions to part L and the improvement in building energy efficiency, which are somewhat overdue?

[Mr Foster]

I thank my right hon. Friend. I am always happy to take advice from my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, but I can assure both my right hon. Friend and the Prime Minister that I hope to make an announcement before the summer about improvements in the energy efficiency of buildings in part L of the building regulations.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Foster of Bath and Lord Stunell

Monday 12th November 2012 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Stunell (Hazel Grove) (LD)]

22. How many homes for social rent have been (a) built and (b) sold in England since 1997.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Don Foster)]

Before I answer the question, I am sure the whole House would wish to join me in congratulating my right hon. Friend on his elevation to the Privy Council.

As I mentioned earlier, the total number of social rented housing stock fell by a staggering 421,000 units from March 1997 to March 2010.

[Andrew Stunell]

I thank my right hon. Friend for his disarming answer. Many families in my constituency are stuck on the housing waiting list, and their plight has been made much worse by that sale of houses by Labour. Will he please push the Government strongly to increase their social and affordable housing programme to deliver for my constituents in Hazel Grove?

[Mr Foster]

My right hon. Friend can be absolutely assured that the Department and I will continue to press the Treasury, but he will know that we have already delivered the funding for a programme that will deliver 170,000 affordable homes, and that we have recently announced further funds that will increase the number of affordable homes and the number of empty properties that will be brought back into use. I congratulate my right hon. Friend’s own council on receiving nearly £1 million through the new homes bonus, bringing more units back into use. Nearly £2 million, furthermore, awaits his local authority from the Homes and Communities Agency to do more good work.