Oral question asked in the House of Commons, by Ian Taylor (Conservative). It was answered on Monday, 14 September 2009 on behalf of the South East Regional Grand Committee.

House Building Targets

Question: Of course we need more houses and social housing, but will the Minister please note that we in Esher and Walton are gravely concerned about the fact that the housing target figures are not capped and that the constituency is expected to ““do something”” about the pressures of London’s overspill? There are also concerns about the protection of the green belt.

Answer: The hon. Gentleman presents the difficulties and challenges facing the Government and the local authority, and he will have constituents at his advice surgery in desperate need of housing. We have to strike a balance, and that is something that this and previous Governments have done. I was a member of a local authority whose housing targets were increased by a previous Conservative Government, and he will know that that did indeed take place. There will always be an issue for us. There are difficult decisions and balances to be struck, but we need to remember the impact of poor housing conditions on children and families. We all want people to have the best start in life and to be able to bring up their families in harmony, but living in bed-and-breakfast or substandard accommodation will not allow them to do that. Yes, we have to invest in infrastructure, but there will always be a fine line and a limit on the resources that we can spend.

Secondary information