Housing White Paper

Peter Bone Excerpts

Tuesday 7th February 2017 Commons Chamber

[Sajid Javid]

A consultation on supported housing is going on at the moment and the results will be out in due course.

[Mr Peter Bone (Wellingborough) (Con)]

Does the Secretary of State agree that housing demand would fall if we could reduce the third of a million people coming into this country each year?

[Sajid Javid]

I have looked at this issue carefully and I am not sure it makes the kind of difference my hon. Friend believes it does. Two thirds of housing demand has nothing to do with immigration; it is to do with natural population growth, particularly through people living longer, and that will have to be catered for regardless. Even if immigration was to fall to zero, we would still have a deficit of some 2 million homes and people would still be in overcrowded homes, so we would still have to keep building.