Oral Answers to Questions
Debate between Siobhain McDonagh and Lord Stunell
Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham and Morden) (Lab)
18. What estimate he has made of the level of affordable house building starts in 2011-12.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Andrew Stunell)
There were 15,698 affordable housing starts on site in 2011-12 delivered in England through programmes managed by the Homes and Communities Agency.
Andrew Stunell
Many of these problems would have been a great deal easier if we had had an extra quarter of a million social and affordable homes, which is the reduction that the hon. Gentleman’s Administration produced. We have a social and affordable housing programme that will deliver 170,000 new affordable homes by 2015, and my right hon. Friend the Housing Minister has been very diligent in pursuing the point the hon. Gentleman raises.
Siobhain McDonagh
There appears to be a discrepancy between the figures used by the Government and those used by the Homes and Communities Agency. Why does it suggest that there was a 68% drop in starts last year, and will the Minister be getting the chief executive of that august organisation in as soon as possible to clear it up?
Andrew Stunell
The hon. Lady should not believe too much of what she reads on these matters—[Interruption.]