Home Building Target

Baroness Uddin Excerpts

Tuesday 15th September 2026 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

I appreciate all the issues around shared ownership, and we have debated those extensively in your Lordships’ House. Housing associations manage their own finances—they are independent organisations. Many of them purchase houses that become available on the open market, and we would encourage them to continue to do so.

[Baroness Uddin (Non-Afl)]

My Lords, I welcome the Government’s absolute commitment to building 1.5 million houses. How do the Government square their decision to build a data centre in the heart of the East End of London—Brick Lane, which is occupied by communities and hundreds of families—which would take away scarce land for housing, to which the Government are committed?

[Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Lab)]

It would be totally inappropriate for me to comment on individual planning applications from the Dispatch Box. We always have to get the balance right between meeting the needs of our economy—data centres are, of course, a critical factor in driving our economy forward—and making sure there is enough land for housing. That situation is the responsibility of our local authorities when they go through their planning processes, unless data centres are referred as part of our national infrastructure system. I will not comment on any individual application here and now.