Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Nick Boles and Baroness Stuart of Edgbaston

Monday 21st October 2013 Commons Chamber

[Nick Boles]

I am happy to reassure my hon. Friend that it certainly is sufficient. One of the decisions that I have most enjoyed taking in this job has been to support the decision of a local authority, which had well in excess of a five-year land supply, to refuse an application for speculative development in an area where it did not want development.

[Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston) (Lab)]

The National Audit Office has warned that 12% of councils are unlikely to be able to balance their books in the future. Do Ministers agree with that figure and, if not, what is their estimate of the number?