Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kemi Badenoch and James Brokenshire

Monday 23rd July 2018 Commons Chamber

[James Brokenshire]

No. As I have already highlighted, I recognise the issues of supply and of affordability. That is why we have invested more heavily in this and, indeed, given councils additional borrowing flexibilities of about £1 billion in England. Yes, of course, we recognise the challenge, and that is why this Government are responding.

[Mrs Kemi Badenoch (Saffron Walden) (Con)]

2. What recent assessment he has made of his Department’s progress on delivering more new homes.

[The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (James Brokenshire)]

In 2016-17, we added 217,000 homes to the housing stock in England—the highest level in all but one of the past 30 years. We have set out an ambitious package of reforms to create a housing market that delivers 300,000 homes a year on average by the mid-2020s.

[Mrs Badenoch]

I thank the Secretary of State for that answer. A recent report by the think-tank Onward proposes that more of the land value created by housing development needs to be captured for the community, not just by developers. Does he agree?

[James Brokenshire]

My hon. Friend makes an important point in that developers should be held to account on, for example, delivering their commitments on infrastructure and affordable homes for communities. That is why we are proposing a new approach to viability assessments in the revised national planning policy framework, and we have consulted on further reforms to developer contributions.