Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Grant Shapps and Amber Rudd

Monday 2nd July 2012 Commons Chamber

[Amber Rudd (Hastings and Rye) (Con)]

T10. A woefully inadequate number of new houses were built in Labour’s 13 years in government. What progress is being made on new houses in areas such as Hastings and Rye, so that young people have a chance of getting on the property ladder?

[Grant Shapps]

The good news is that programmes such as NewBuy, which allows people to get a 95% mortgage once again, will help people in Hastings and across the country, as will programmes such as Firstbuy, which is on track to deliver more than 10,500 homes. The record low interest rates will also help people, as long as they continue and as long as we ensure that the deficit is not allowed to balloon.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Grant Shapps and Amber Rudd

Monday 30th January 2012 Commons Chamber

[Amber Rudd (Hastings and Rye) (Con)]

16. What his timetable is for the next allocations of the new homes bonus.

[The Minister for Housing and Local Government (Grant Shapps)]

The Government will shortly announce the final new homes bonus payments for 2012-13. These were provisionally estimated in December at £430 million.

[Grant Shapps]

Yes, absolutely. My hon. Friend’s council in Milton Keynes is a shining beacon of housing growth and delivery, which puts many other councils to shame.

[Amber Rudd]

Towns such as Hastings have almost no new land for the building of new homes, but we are encouraged by the new homes bonus to tackle derelict buildings and are doing it well, despite—if I may say so—being controlled by a Labour council. Does my right hon. Friend agree that that social bonus is as welcome to communities as the additional financial bonus?

[Grant Shapps]

I entirely agree. In the last year 85 homes in Hastings have been brought back into use, which is indeed welcome. It is essential for us to reverse the catastrophic policies that, under the last Government, led to the lowest level of house building since the 1920s.

Housing Reform

Debate between Grant Shapps and Amber Rudd

Monday 21st November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Grant Shapps]

I look forward to visiting my hon. Friend’s constituency, where people will no doubt be dancing in the streets this evening. Local authorities and local people must make delicate decisions about where it is right to build and where they do not want building to take place. The Government are proud to have returned those powers to local communities. That is absolutely the right place for them, as the housing strategy confirms.

[Amber Rudd (Hastings and Rye) (Con)]

I particularly welcome the release of public sector land to boost housing construction, but will the Minister assure me that the build now, pay later scheme will mean that taxpayers have an IOU ensuring that, when the houses are eventually sold, they will get the money back?