Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Prime Minister, with reference to his oral contribution of 26 October 2022 in response to the Right hon Member for Aldridge-Brownhills, Official Report, column 297, what the factual basis is for his statement that a record number of new homes were built in the last year.

I am very proud of this government’s record on housebuilding, with over 2 million additional homes delivered since 2010. I am happy to clarify that it was this Conservative Government which oversaw the highest level of new homes delivered in over 30 years before the disruption of the pandemic, with 242,000 homes (a net increase in housing supply) delivered between April 2019 and March 2020. Furthermore, under this Government the number of new homes started in England is at a near 15-year high, and has risen by 10% above pre-pandemic levels.

This Government knows that people are happier, more secure and more rooted in their communities when they own their own homes. That is why we are continuing to build on our record of delivering new homes, with housebuilding starts increasing by 140% between 2009 and 2022.