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Planning and Energy Bill

I am sure that that is true. The hon. Gentleman makes a helpful point. I am well aware of Cambridge city council's position on this. Of course, a borough-wide policy sets a more even standard than the setting of individual requirements for individual developments within a borough or city. I would not be promoting this Bill if I thought that it would inhibit housing generally. I have made inquiries of Merton borough council, and it has assured me that no developer has ever had any difficulty in coping with its requirements. Let us look at the facts. Merton's policy is four years old, and its housing target—set by the Greater London authority—states that it must build 430 new homes each year. Since the policy was adopted in 2003, the actual annual totals of new homes constructed in Merton have been 484, 497, 546 and 528. So there is no evidence there that the policy inhibits the growth of new housing.