Business of the House

Victoria Collins Excerpts

Thursday 23rd April 2026 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

On that basis, I am dead gutted.

[Victoria Collins (Harpenden and Berkhamsted) (LD)]

After years of Conservative failures to do so, Liberal Democrat councils across Harpenden and Berkhamsted are working hard to secure a local plan for housing. However, the Government’s work on top-down planning, which gives Dacorum an increase of about 40% in housing numbers and St Albans an increase of almost 90%, and the Government’s grey belt proposals are literally giving developers a field day in Harpenden and Berkhamsted—including in Tring, where we see proposed increases of about 40% across the village. Now that the Government are seeing the impact of that policy, will the Leader of the House help us to secure a debate on grey belt—and a visit from the Minister to see those green belt areas, which are supposedly grey belt, right on the Chilterns national landscape?

[Sir Alan Campbell]

The Government are clear that we wish to see brownfield sites prioritised wherever possible, but the reality is that we have ambitious targets for housing because the failure of the previous Government to build sufficient housing has left us with a housing crisis. It is true that local voices should be heard in this process, but it is also true that we need to get on and build some more houses. I will draw the hon. Lady’s question to the attention of the Housing Minister, who is doing his very best in that regard. This issue is raised very often, so, should she wish to seek an Adjournment or Westminster Hall debate, I am sure other Members would want to come along and take part.