Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kerry McCarthy and Lord Stunell

Thursday 10th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Stunell]

Unfortunately, the hon. Gentleman is wrong, and, as it will become clear when statements are made in the emergency Budget and elsewhere, we are putting the financial package back together again.

[Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab)]

13. What steps he plans to take to increase the supply of affordable housing in areas of high demand.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Andrew Stunell)]

We recognise that there is a continued need for affordable housing, and we remain committed to its provision. When we announced on 24 May the £6.2 billion of savings to tackle the deficit, we made available £170 million to safeguard the delivery of about 4,000 otherwise unfunded social rented homes, starting on site this year and prioritising provision for the most vulnerable. Decisions on future levels of funding for affordable housing will be made in the spending review.

[Kerry McCarthy]

I thank the Minister for that reply. Given his professed support for social housing, will he explain why the Homes and Communities Agency has put a moratorium on all spending on new council housing, including the site in central Bristol on which work was planned to go ahead?

[Andrew Stunell]

As the hon. Lady will know, the moratorium is in existence until the emergency Budget is announced, and I cannot go much further than that at this point. However, the reason why there will be an emergency Budget, and the reason why there is a moratorium, is that there is not enough money to complete the programme that was put in train by the Opposition’s Front Benchers when they were in government.