Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make it her policy to reclassify housing as essential infrastructure.

On 19 June, the government published UK Infrastructure: A 10 Year Strategy. This sets out a long-term vision to deliver the infrastructure needed to drive the government’s missions, backed by at least £725 billion in infrastructure investment over the next decade.

Social, economic and housing infrastructure underpin the government’s central missions and the Plan for Change. That is why this government’s strategy brings together housing, social and economic infrastructure, aligning planning and delivery over the next 10 years to support growth.

The government has made its commitment to housing clear, including through major reforms to the planning system, its 10 year £39 billion investment in the Affordable Homes Programme, and the establishment of a new National Housing Bank backed with £16 billion of financial capacity, on top of £6bn of existing finance to be allocated this Parliament.