Housebuilding: Target Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate
Department: Wales Office

Housebuilding: Target

Baroness Hamwee Excerpts
Tuesday 19th July 2016

(8 years, 5 months ago)

Lords Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth Portrait Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I thank the right reverend Prelate for that point. He is absolutely right that this is an issue. Local authorities, as I know from Wales—this applies in England as well—have a power to use council tax as a device to ensure that people pay an additional amount on a second home. We are looking at this; I will write to the right reverend Prelate as regards progress on it and will make a copy available in the Library.

Baroness Hamwee Portrait Baroness Hamwee (LD)
- Hansard - -

My Lords, do the Government have a new homes strategy? If not, why not, and if they do, what progress is being made with it? I declare an interest as vice-president of the Town and Country Planning Association.

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth Portrait Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

I thank the noble Baroness for that question. Of course we have a new homes strategy: we are committed to building 1 million new homes in this Parliament, and measures are in place. A £20 billion budget for housing over this Parliament, which is a considerable amount, is partly to encourage housebuilding but is also helping people to buy and making money available for homes to rent.