Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Oral Answers to Questions

Vicky Ford Excerpts
Monday 30th October 2017

(7 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Sharma Portrait Alok Sharma
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We want to make sure that the right number of homes are built in the right places, and of course the plan will be assessed by an inspector.

Vicky Ford Portrait Vicky Ford (Chelmsford) (Con)
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15. What plans he has to increase the number of homes constructed each year; and if he will make a statement.

Lord Sharma Portrait The Minister for Housing and Planning (Alok Sharma)
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Our housing White Paper “Fixing our Broken Housing Market”, published in February, sets out how we will build the homes this country needs. Broadly speaking, we want to do this by diversifying those building homes, increasing build-out rates, supporting homebuyers and releasing more land.

Vicky Ford Portrait Vicky Ford
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Some 4,500 homes have been built at Beaulieu Park in Chelmsford and another 5,000-plus are planned, but the roads are at capacity and we need a new railway station and a bypass. That is Essex’s No. 1 priority for the housing infrastructure fund. Will the Minister meet me to discuss this important infrastructure to unlock housing?

Lord Sharma Portrait Alok Sharma
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My hon. Friend is a passionate supporter of new housing for her constituents, which is very welcome. Of course I will meet her . As she knows, I am not able to comment on any particular bids, but I can tell her that there has been a great deal of interest in the £2.3 billion for the housing infrastructure fund.