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Local Government and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Absolutely. My hon. Friend makes a very important point. Quality as well as quantity is fundamental, and that brings me to my next point. I am talking about not the one-size-fits-all monolithic estates of the past, but mixed communities, supported by excellent schools, transport and hospitals; decent design, which helps defeat crime, provides space for young and old, with green spaces and safe places to come together as friends and neighbours; green homes, where the needs of the environment are balanced with the needs of families; and not the quick-fix solutions that blighted too much of the post-war building programme, but well designed houses that people are proud to call home. I visited Nottingham yesterday to see the innovative proposals for new eco-homes in the Meadows area of the city. I saw real enthusiasm, real vision and, crucially, genuine support from the local community for the new development. It is a tragedy that the Tories oppose such initiatives, because they are the prisoners of the nimbyism of Opposition Members.