Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what they are doing to promote housebuilding.

This Government has delivered over 445,000 new homes since 2010 and housing starts in the past year are up 31 per cent and the highest since 2007. I refer the noble Lord to my comprehensive Written Ministerial Statement of 10 June 2014, Official Report, Col. WS40, which details the measures that this Government is taking to promote housebuilding and increase housing supply across the country.

In addition to these measures, we are creating new dedicated Housing Zones to support housing development on brownfield sites in London and across the country. £200 million investment each from the government and the Mayor of London will create 50,000 new homes in twenty Housing Zones across London, and a further £200 million of government money will create ten Housing Zones outside London.