Contributions
2,441 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Building HomesThe right hon. Gentleman raises a very important point. There are local authorities around the country where the boundaries are such that they stray into areas where environmental…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesThe previous Government, as the hon. Gentleman may know—again, I commend them for it—appointed an older people’s housing taskforce “to look at options for the provision of greater…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesThe hon. Gentleman’s request has been put on the record and I will make sure that my ministerial colleagues are made aware of it.12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesI am pleased that the hon. Gentleman’s area is working in co-operation with its neighbours. As he knows, we have in place a duty to co-operate; it has not been particularly…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesI look forward to my visit to Ebbsfleet, which is now building out at a faster rate than it was. We welcome its contribution. I have already referenced the changes we intend to…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesWhere appropriate, local councillors, with advice from trained planning officers, should of course have a say on major outline applications. Some of the proposals we are asking…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesAs I have said, we are giving a considerable amount of thought to what more we can do, in addition to the changes being made today, to ensure that the right infrastructure comes…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesThere is more to be done in this area, and SMEs and small sites can make a huge contribution to the 1.5 million home target. There are changes that have been published today in…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesWith your permission, Mr Speaker, I would like to update the House on our plan to build the homes our country so desperately needs. This Labour Government were elected five months…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesI thank the hon. Gentleman for some of his responses, and for those questions. I am glad that he broadly supports the Government’s target of 1.5 million homes. As he will know,…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesMy hon. Friend will be pleased to know that we have added text to the NPPF to encourage the incorporation of features to protect threatened species, including swifts, but also…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesBecause I have outlined my position many, many times before. I objected to a 1,500-home scheme that I thought was poor quality—I thought we could do better. It is very…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesI thank the Chair of the Select Committee for those questions and for her broad support for the framework we have announced today. On social rented housing in particular, she is…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesI support that objective, but I gently say that the previous Government had 14 years to address concerns in this area. I remember repeated calls from Conservative Members at the…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesI am not sure I detected a question there, but there were several points. I will endeavour to respond to at least a few of them. I welcome the hon. Gentleman’s broad support for…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesMy hon. Friend is right. The Conservatives can try to scrub the record all they like, but it speaks for itself. The so-called planning concern group in the last Parliament…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesI return to a point that I have made several times during this statement. The onus is on local communities and elected leaders to put in place up-to-date local plans that shape…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesThe hon. Gentleman’s point is well made. We are determined to drive up the coverage of up-to-date local plans. We want universal coverage: that is the way to secure sustainable…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesAs my hon. Friend may know, the new method produces a figure for London of nearly 88,000. That is more than double recent delivery, and it constitutes the biggest proposed…12 Dec 2024HANSARD Building HomesLocal authorities are already required to put in place plans for infrastructure delivery, and to set out how that infrastructure is funded and should come forward. We have made a…12 Dec 2024