Housing and Planning Bill

Debate between Clive Efford and Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park

Tuesday 12th January 2016 Commons Chamber

[Zac Goldsmith]

As the hon. Gentleman knows, I stood on a manifesto that included a commitment to extending the right to buy to housing association tenants. That is the right policy: it will enable hundreds of thousands of people to achieve home ownership who would otherwise not be able to do so.

[Clive Efford (Eltham) (Lab)]

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

[Zac Goldsmith]

In a second: I am just answering the previous intervention.

That achievement would not be possible without the sale of empty high-value council homes. If, as a consequence of amendment 112, each sale leads to two new affordable homes being built, I would regard that as a good thing for London.

[Ms Buck]

rose—

[Clive Efford]

rose—

[Zac Goldsmith]

I am not going to take any more interventions. [Interruption.] I did take an intervention.

Finally, will the Minister commit to ensuring that public bodies can take the widest possible and longest term view of best value when releasing land? That point has been raised with me time and again by great and small developers, as well as by housing associations. We need a redefinition or an expanded definition.