Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the 30 per cent discount of the First Homes policy is intended to replace the requirement for a deposit from the purchaser or whether a deposit is still required.

The discount is not intended to replace the deposit on a home but will make it significantly cheaper. We expect mortgage companies to be able to offer high loan-to-value mortgages on the discounted price of a First Home which, combined with the reduced cost of the home itself, could mean deposits are thousands of pounds cheaper than purchasing the same home on the open market.