Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew George Excerpts

Wednesday 2nd September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Kinnock]

I thank the right hon. Lady for her question. Many of the ideas coming forward for devolving power right across our United Kingdom, beyond Cardiff Bay and Holyrood, are very exciting, and I look forward to exploring them with her. With regard to policing, the Prime Minister and I have been very clear that we will engage on the future of devolution, including deepening devolution into communities across all corners of Wales. On policing specifically, our focus has been, and will continue to be, on cutting crime. Our priority will always be ensuring the safety and security of the people of Wales. What matters is what works.

[Andrew George (St Ives) (LD)]

2. Whether he has had recent discussions with the Welsh Government on the affordability of housing.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales (Anna McMorrin)]

Housing is a devolved matter in Wales, but we know that people are struggling with the affordability of everyday life. That is why easing the burden on the cost of living is our priority. We have taken immediate action by removing VAT from energy bills from 1 October, giving millions of households breathing space this winter.

[Andrew George]

I am grateful to the Minister for that reply. However, as the Minister is well aware, the Welsh Government have failed to meet their own 2021-26 social housing target. I wonder what lessons have been learned from that, and indeed from the Welsh Government’s introduction of curbs on second homes through the planning system. Surely this refreshed Government must be taking lessons from Wales and applying them across the UK as a whole.

[Anna McMorrin]

I am sure that the hon. Member will agree that there are always lessons to be learned in this place, but we recognise that more needs to be done on second homes and short-term lets. The UK Government will consider a wide range of evidence on the issue, including learning from other parts of the UK. Affordable housing is of great importance to the Prime Minister. Just last week he announced where more than 70,000 social and affordable homes will be built across England over the next 10 years. This will be transformative, and I hope that the Plaid Government in Wales will follow through on their promise to build 20,000 new social homes in Wales by 2030.

--- Later in debate ---

[The Prime Minister]

I have made that commitment, I have made it very clearly, and I have done so for a considerable time. I was in Ukraine last week for a very specific reason: to repeat it on the world stage. My hon. Friend can be absolutely sure of that. Alongside our commitment to defence, we also have to build the resilience of Britain. We need to ensure that the maximum amount of the funding committed to the defence investment plan goes back into the reindustrialisation of our communities. We should do more to maintain sovereign manufacturing and production capability here, and that will be a theme of my Government. We will make sure that British taxpayers’ money goes to supporting industry in our own country, to make us more resilient going into the future.

[Andrew George (St Ives) (LD)]

Q6. My private Member’s Bill on community-led homes aims to help combat widening inequality in the UK. In Cornwall alone during the last decade, more than half a billion pounds of taxpayers’ money has been handed out to second home owners through tax loopholes, while the housing problems of locals have got significantly worse. The planning system is fuelled by greed rather than need, allowing land value speculators simply to fill their boots while housing problems get worse. Will the Prime Minister meet me so that we can identify tools within my private Member’s Bill to empower communities to address that desperate need?

[The Prime Minister]

I have worked with the hon. Gentleman over many years, and I remember that in the coalition years he did not always take that line, and I respect him for that. I will look closely at his private Member’s Bill. How about this? I will agree here and now to a meeting with him and all Cornish MPs to discuss what we might do, alongside his Bill, to put powers and levers within the devolution deal, so as to deal with those specific issues he has just raised in relation to second homes in Cornwall.