Property Market

Debate between Lord Harrington of Watford and John Stevenson

Tuesday 25th January 2011 Westminster Hall

[Richard Harrington]

I do not think that it makes much difference to the argument. In practice there is not much of a difference; I understand there is one, realistically. I look forward to the Minister’s comments and the contributions of colleagues. I feel I have made my point.

[John Stevenson (Carlisle) (Con)]

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for securing this debate, which is very useful. I agree with the general thrust of his argument that we need more supply, but he has not touched on the matter of empty properties, how we could bring them back on to the market, and whether there should be incentives to do that, which would increase supply.

[Richard Harrington]

That is a valuable point. In Watford there are several hundred empty properties. I keep an eye on that. To give credit to the local council, it is also trying. However, there is more to the question of empty properties than meets the eye. Some of them are transiently empty, not empty over the long term. Some are not in the condition that they should be, and some are in areas of town where people do not want to live. I had this very discussion outside the Chamber with my hon. Friend the Member for Burton (Andrew Griffiths), who mentioned that it was a particular problem in his constituency. I do not make it out as of no consequence—it is important—but it is peripheral to the main argument. We shall not merely need 100 or 200 extra homes in our constituencies—which might or might not be obtained by making progress with empty properties. The question is the fundamental supply of new housing land.