Oral Answers to Questions

Neil Duncan-Jordan Excerpts
Monday 2nd November 2026

(2 days, 22 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Matthew Pennycook Portrait Matthew Pennycook
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This Government are building, and that 15% increase in starts is a testament to that. I have lost count of the number of times that I have made it clear in this Chamber that our 1.5 million new homes target is an incredibly stretching one, but we remain committed to it. We will not take lectures from a party that fell short of its own distinctly unambitious target of 1 million homes in the last Parliament.

Neil Duncan-Jordan Portrait Neil Duncan-Jordan (Poole) (Lab)
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In coastal communities like mine, the issue is not the rate of house building, but the rate of affordable house building. In 2024-25, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council built just 89 affordable homes. What plans do the Government have to take back land that developers are banking and to start building the council houses we need?

Matthew Pennycook Portrait Matthew Pennycook
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My hon. Friend will not have to wait long for a package of build-out transparency measures, which will include the right for local authorities to refuse permission in instances where particular developers repeatedly get planning consent but do not build out the sites.