I am pleased to follow the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Sir John Stanley), not least because, although we come from different political persuasions, he is the Member of the House I have known the longest, in that we both attended the same school more than 55 years...

I am pleased to follow the right hon. Member for Tonbridge and Malling (Sir John Stanley), not least because, although we come from different political persuasions, he is the Member of the House I have known the longest, in that we both attended the same school more than 55 years...

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department made of the number of starter homes that could be provided on sites in commercial or industrial use that (a) were otherwise unlikely to be brought forward for residential purposes and (b) are not currently...

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department made of the number of starter homes that could be provided on sites in commercial or industrial use that (a) were otherwise unlikely to be brought forward for residential purposes and (b) are not currently...

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his Answer of 12 March 2015 to Question 226673, whether starter homes provided under his proposed exceptions policy could be counted towards off-site affordable housing obligations owed by developers under section 106 agreements made in respect of...

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his Answer of 12 March 2015 to Question 226673, whether starter homes provided under his proposed exceptions policy could be counted towards off-site affordable housing obligations owed by developers under section 106 agreements made in respect of...

If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

This will be the last Communities and Local Government question that I shall ask. May I therefore surprise the Government by congratulating them on introducing measures to require the installation of smoke alarms in all privately rented housing, but—there is a sting in the tail—may I also ask them to explain why it took them so long to reach that decision, given that their own impact assessment shows that the measure will save more than 20 lives a year? Is it because there are forces within the Government that are hostile to regulation, even when it saves lives?

This will be the last Communities and Local Government question that I shall ask. May I therefore surprise the Government by congratulating them on introducing measures to require the installation of smoke alarms in all privately rented housing, but—there is a sting in the tail—may I also ask them to explain why it took them so long to reach that decision, given that their own impact assessment shows that the measure will save more than 20 lives a year? Is it because there are forces within the Government that are hostile to regulation, even when it saves lives?

I draw attention to my interests in the register. As the Minister clearly has difficulty with the figures, may I remind him that the highly authoritative UK housing review, published last week, shows very clearly the figures for the number of new social rented homes started in this country in each of the years from 2009-10 to 2013-14? In 2009-10, the last year of the previous Government, 39,000 social rented homes were started. In 2013-14, 3,961 were started. Those are the figures, so will the Minister now own up and apologise for that appalling record?

I draw attention to my interests in the register. As the Minister clearly has difficulty with the figures, may I remind him that the highly authoritative UK housing review, published last week, shows very clearly the figures for the number of new social rented homes started in this country in each of the years from 2009-10 to 2013-14? In 2009-10, the last year of the previous Government, 39,000 social rented homes were started. In 2013-14, 3,961 were started. Those are the figures, so will the Minister now own up and apologise for that appalling record?

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Statement of 2 March 2015, HCWS 324, on starter homes, if he will estimate the number of homes that will be built in each local authority area under the proposed national exception site planning policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Written Statement of 2 March 2015, HCWS 324, on starter homes, if he will estimate the number of homes that will be built in each local authority area under the proposed national exception site planning policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's proposed exceptions policy, whether starter homes can count towards affordable housing obligations on sites for development outside designated starter homes exceptions areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, with reference to his Department's proposed exceptions policy, whether starter homes can count towards affordable housing obligations on sites for development outside designated starter homes exceptions areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2015 to Question 226133, whether any of the homes built under the proposed starter homes exceptions policy will be built on land that might otherwise have been brought forward for housing development.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2015 to Question 226133, whether any of the homes built under the proposed starter homes exceptions policy will be built on land that might otherwise have been brought forward for housing development.

I did not quite follow the Minister’s argument. He accepted the fact that London is different and that there is strong feeling about it in London, but he proceeded to say that the Government therefore want to make London like the rest of the country. I am afraid that that...

I did not quite follow the Minister’s argument. He accepted the fact that London is different and that there is strong feeling about it in London, but he proceeded to say that the Government therefore want to make London like the rest of the country. I am afraid that that...

I, too, intend to speak about the provisions on short-term lettings. I very much endorse the views that were ably expressed by my hon. Friends and by the hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster (Mark Field). There is cross-party agreement and I fail to understand why the Government...

I, too, intend to speak about the provisions on short-term lettings. I very much endorse the views that were ably expressed by my hon. Friends and by the hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster (Mark Field). There is cross-party agreement and I fail to understand why the Government...

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in evaluating the potential scope for the starter homes policy, what estimate he has made of the (a) area of land not otherwise likely to be designated for housing development, which might become available under the starter homes policy,...

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, in evaluating the potential scope for the starter homes policy, what estimate he has made of the (a) area of land not otherwise likely to be designated for housing development, which might become available under the starter homes policy,...

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reason the in perpetuity provision applicable to discounts in rural exceptions sites is not applied to homes developed under the starter homes exceptions policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, for what reason the in perpetuity provision applicable to discounts in rural exceptions sites is not applied to homes developed under the starter homes exceptions policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department made when assessing the potential availability of land for its proposed starter homes policy of the proportion of sites that might otherwise be brought forward for residential development without the introduction of that policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate his Department made when assessing the potential availability of land for its proposed starter homes policy of the proportion of sites that might otherwise be brought forward for residential development without the introduction of that policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many homes have been developed under the exceptions policy for affordable homes in rural areas in each of the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many homes have been developed under the exceptions policy for affordable homes in rural areas in each of the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the (a) distribution between each local authority in England of the total number of homes built under the proposed starter homes exceptions policy over the next five years and (b) amount of section...

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the (a) distribution between each local authority in England of the total number of homes built under the proposed starter homes exceptions policy over the next five years and (b) amount of section...

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the total potential value of section 106 and community infrastructure levy contributions which will be forgone in sales designated under the proposed exemptions policy for starter homes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the total potential value of section 106 and community infrastructure levy contributions which will be forgone in sales designated under the proposed exemptions policy for starter homes.

May I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests? This time last year, the Department published a consultation paper on the private rented sector that, among other items, proposed that the installation of working smoke alarms be mandatory. Since then, Ministers have repeatedly failed to meet their own—frequently deferred—deadlines for saying when the consultation will be published. Why are they dragging their feet on such a simple and popular measure that will save lives?

May I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests? This time last year, the Department published a consultation paper on the private rented sector that, among other items, proposed that the installation of working smoke alarms be mandatory. Since then, Ministers have repeatedly failed to meet their own—frequently deferred—deadlines for saying when the consultation will be published. Why are they dragging their feet on such a simple and popular measure that will save lives?

If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

In the light of those remarks, will the Minister tell the House whether the Government were right to subcontract the issue of airport capacity to Sir Howard Davies?

In the light of those remarks, will the Minister tell the House whether the Government were right to subcontract the issue of airport capacity to Sir Howard Davies?