Oral Answers to Questions

Heidi Alexander Excerpts

Wednesday 17th June 2015 Commons Chamber

The Prime Minister was asked—

[Heidi Alexander (Lewisham East) (Lab)]

Q1. If he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 17 June.

[The First Secretary of State and Chancellor of the Exchequer (Mr George Osborne)]

The Prime Minister is in Italy and I have been asked to reply. This morning I had meetings with ministerial colleagues and others, and in addition to my duties in the House I shall have further such meetings later today.

[Heidi Alexander]

Under this Government’s leadership, the construction of social rented homes has fallen to a 20-year low, but since 2010 the amount of housing benefit paid to private landlords has risen by £1.5 billion. Does the Chancellor understand the connection, or would he like to come to my next advice surgery so that my constituents can explain it to him?

[Mr Osborne]

Of course we are aware that there is an acute housing shortage in London, which is why we need to build more homes, but I can tell the hon. Lady that we built more council housing in the last five years than was built in the entire 13 years of the last Labour Government. I am very happy to come to Lewisham, where we will talk about the fact that today the claimant count is down by 25% over the year and long-term youth unemployment is down 45% in the last year. The economic plan in Lewisham is working.