Housing

Clive Efford Excerpts

Wednesday 10th June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker.

Under the previous Government, the stock of affordable homes had fallen by 420,000 since 1997, with 1.8 million families languishing on social housing waiting lists. I say that because it is right to be candid about the inheritance if we want to go on and build, across both sides of the House, a strong case for improvement.

[Clive Efford (Eltham) (Lab)]

I accept part of what the Secretary of State says. The previous Labour Government did not build enough houses and I said so at the time, but this Government came in and poured petrol on the fire. There was the lowest level of house building since the 1920s; they scrapped the biggest council house building programme for 20 years; and last year only 27,000 social houses and only 1,000 council houses were built. That is a disgraceful record.

[Mr Deputy Speaker]

We must have short interventions if we are going to get other Members in to speak.