Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Oral Answers to Questions

Kit Malthouse Excerpts
Monday 18th July 2016

(8 years, 3 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Barwell Portrait Gavin Barwell
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I am certainly happy to undertake to do that. I have two points to make. First, the right hon. Gentleman will have seen the steps that the Bank of England has taken to reassure markets following the referendum. Secondly, I draw his attention to a statement by Peter Andrew, the deputy chairman of the Home Builders Federation, who said on 5 July:

“House builders remain confident in the underlying level of demand for housing and will continue to deliver the homes the country needs.”

Kit Malthouse Portrait Kit Malthouse (North West Hampshire) (Con)
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Given the demand-and-supply equation for housing in this country, the Minister is correct to assume that there will still be strong growth in housing. Does he agree that it is very important that neighbourhood plans play their part in future planning policy and that they should, therefore, be strengthened? Would he like to take this opportunity to confirm that he will continue to support the strengthening of those plans in the forthcoming Bill?

Lord Barwell Portrait Gavin Barwell
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I am very happy to reiterate my support for that. It is worth noting that early figures show that neighbourhood plans provide about 10% more homes than local plans, so there is real evidence that giving communities a real say in the future of how their areas develop leads to more homes being developed, and we will legislate during this Session.