Housebuilding

Lord Stunell Excerpts

Thursday 21st September 2023 Lords Chamber

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

I too was born and bred for 25 years of my early life in a council house. Local authorities do a good job, but the noble Baroness is absolutely right that there is more to do. The Government have done a good job on affordable housing, but local authorities of all colours could do a lot more on affordable housing and social housing in particular. The council housing that I was brought up in was of very high quality and is still there today. The communities that it develops are long-standing, and we need to maintain them.

[Lord Stunell (LD)]

My Lords, I welcome the Minister to his new role. Many local authorities and local planning authorities are in dire financial straits at the moment. Indeed, the Secretary of State has put a commissioner in to deal with the specific case of Birmingham City Council. In that case, the Secretary of State is setting the budget priorities of that local planning authority. What directive has been given to the commissioner by the Secretary of State to make sure that the priority of planning and housing development approvals in Birmingham proceeds at a smart pace in a timely and professional way?

[Lord Evans of Rainow (Con)]

I am grateful to the noble Lord for his question on Birmingham and for the service that he gave to Hazel Grove over many years. I do not have a specific answer to his Birmingham City Council question because it is too recent and I do not have it in my pack, but I will write to him.