Oral Answers to Questions

Caroline Dinenage Excerpts

Monday 25th October 2021 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

We come now to the newly named Department. We have questions for the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communications—[Interruption.] I mean Communities, not communications! I hope that there will be communications, because otherwise we will be in trouble.

[Caroline Dinenage (Gosport) (Con)]

1. When his Department will publish its response to the consultation on the planning for the future White Paper.

[Julie Marson (Hertford and Stortford) (Con)]

20. What steps he is taking to reform planning rules.

[The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Michael Gove)]

The response to last year’s consultation on the planning White Paper generated significant interest. I am considering all those responses and will make an announcement on next steps in due course.

[Caroline Dinenage]

I welcome the Secretary of State to his role.

The Gosport peninsula is more than 80% built on, and a further 12% of it is conservation area. There is simply nowhere to build the wildly unrealistic 2014 housing numbers without decimating any remaining green areas and, of course, the vital strategic gap. Worse, the 2018 Office for National Statistics population data reveal that our actual housing need is 3,000 fewer homes. I really understand that the nation needs houses, but this Government champion localism. Will he please give me hope that they will not be imposing unrealistic, outdated housing numbers on us?

[Mr Speaker]

I call the Secretary of State.