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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the announcement, Government announces new generation of council housing, published on 3 October 2018, what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to build adequate numbers of social housing.

The Prime Minister announced on 3 October at the Conservative Party Conference that the caps on local authorities borrowing to fund the construction of new homes will be removed, enabling them to fund a new generation of council housing that meets the needs of local people. This ground breaking announcement will enable councils to build up to 10,000 homes per year in the short term, with potential to go even further over time.

In addition, local authorities can bid alongside housing associations for the £9 billion Affordable Homes Programme to build affordable homes. We are also providing a longer term rent deal for 5 years from 2020 to provide local authorities with a stable investment environment to deliver new homes and we have consulted on options for allowing local authorities more flexibility in the use of their Right to Buy receipts, including extending the time limit for spending Right to Buy receipts from three years to five years for existing receipts.