Housing

Debbie Abrahams Excerpts

Wednesday 10th June 2015 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

The acceleration in the pace of affordable house building is happening right across the country, and it is our intention to put further fuel in that engine.

[Debbie Abrahams (Oldham East and Saddleworth) (Lab)]

I find the Secretary of State’s complacency absolutely breathtaking. As my hon. Friend the Member for Lewisham East (Heidi Alexander) has said, the building of affordable homes is at a 20-year low. In my constituency, people are living in cars as a result of that and of benefit changes. Does the right hon. Gentleman find that acceptable?

[Greg Clark]

I think that the Opposition were complacent about the record that they left and the poor quality of the policies that they proposed. In relation to Oldham and to Greater Manchester, I hope that the hon. Lady will welcome the Greater Manchester agreement and the city deal, which has explicitly created a housing fund for the area reflecting the principles of localism that my hon. Friend the Member for South West Wiltshire (Dr Murrison) mentioned. This will allow the leaders of Manchester to invest in more homes for Greater Manchester. That is a big step in the right direction.