My Lords, would the Minister agree that a rather surprising and paradoxical way of helping first-time buyers is through making it easier to build for last-time buyers: those who want to downsize or right-size? Then you get two for one: you are helping the elder person but also providing, through the chain of lettings and purchases that follow, something for first-time buyers as well.

My Lords, would the Minister agree that a rather surprising and paradoxical way of helping first-time buyers is through making it easier to build for last-time buyers: those who want to downsize or right-size? Then you get two for one: you are helping the elder person but also providing, through the chain of lettings and purchases that follow, something for first-time buyers as well.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to invest in professional and technical built environment skills, specifically (1) surveying, (2) architecture, (3) construction management, and (4) planning, beyond the 2025 announcement of £625 million for trade construction skills.

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to invest in professional and technical built environment skills, specifically (1) surveying, (2) architecture, (3) construction management, and (4) planning, beyond the 2025 announcement of £625 million for trade construction skills.

My Lords, does the Minister agree that there is now a brilliant new way of helping young people get the accommodation they need: intergenerational housing? Pioneered by the Phoenix Community Housing association in Lewisham, in schemes involving apartments for older people, a proportion are allocated to young people, who, in return for an affordable rent, provide social amenities, services and help with IT for the older people in the same scheme. Will she encourage Homes England to do more of these fantastic schemes that help both young and old together?

My Lords, does the Minister agree that there is now a brilliant new way of helping young people get the accommodation they need: intergenerational housing? Pioneered by the Phoenix Community Housing association in Lewisham, in schemes involving apartments for older people, a proportion are allocated to young people, who, in return for an affordable rent, provide social amenities, services and help with IT for the older people in the same scheme. Will she encourage Homes England to do more of these fantastic schemes that help both young and old together?

My Lords, will the Minister agree that it is the longer-term effect of having fewer first-time buyers that really counts? When you retire as a tenant, you have not paid off a mortgage, you have not got a capital asset and you see your rent rising every year

but your income falling. It catches up with you on retirement. In that longer-term perspective, I ask the Minister: what has happened to the Government’s long-term national housing strategy, which she promised me on 11 February would be out by 31 March? Is this on the way, and will it include a good chunk on how to bolster the number of first-time buyers, which is so important?

My Lords, will the Minister agree that it is the longer-term effect of having fewer first-time buyers that really counts? When you retire as a tenant, you have not paid off a mortgage, you have not got a capital asset and you see your rent rising every year

but your income falling. It catches up with you on retirement. In that longer-term perspective, I ask the Minister: what has happened to the Government’s long-term national housing strategy, which she promised me on 11 February would be out by 31 March? Is this on the way, and will it include a good chunk on how to bolster the number of first-time buyers, which is so important?

My Lords, the 1.5 million new homes target is only part of the big housing jigsaw. It is about quality as well as quantity and regeneration as well as new build. All this is meant to come together in the Government’s long-term national housing strategy. This was due out about a year ago. I ask the Minister: when we will see the national housing strategy?

My Lords, the 1.5 million new homes target is only part of the big housing jigsaw. It is about quality as well as quantity and regeneration as well as new build. All this is meant to come together in the Government’s long-term national housing strategy. This was due out about a year ago. I ask the Minister: when we will see the national housing strategy?

My Lords, the Minister mentioned her negotiations with housebuilders—I think it was just yesterday. We depend on those volume housebuilders to produce all the homes that we need. Can she reassure the House that in those negotiations she will

not wish away any of the affordable housing that housebuilders are obliged to provide but so often fail to?

My Lords, the Minister mentioned her negotiations with housebuilders—I think it was just yesterday. We depend on those volume housebuilders to produce all the homes that we need. Can she reassure the House that in those negotiations she will

not wish away any of the affordable housing that housebuilders are obliged to provide but so often fail to?

My Lords, does the Minister agree with the National Audit Office’s report in June of this year, which said that the discussion and negotiations on planning matters were between two very unequal partners: on the one side, the local planning authority, which is underresourced and understaffed; and on the other hand, the large-scale developers that employ expensive consultants and legal experts to negotiate down their obligations and contributions? Will the efforts of the Government to bolster the planning departments redress this ridiculous imbalance?

My Lords, does the Minister agree with the National Audit Office’s report in June of this year, which said that the discussion and negotiations on planning matters were between two very unequal partners: on the one side, the local planning authority, which is underresourced and understaffed; and on the other hand, the large-scale developers that employ expensive consultants and legal experts to negotiate down their obligations and contributions? Will the efforts of the Government to bolster the planning departments redress this ridiculous imbalance?

My Lords, irrespective of the merits of the £100 million deal done between the CMA and the seven volume housebuilders, does the Minister agree that we should be reducing and indeed eliminating our dependency as a nation on a small oligopoly of major housebuilders? We need more variety; we need SME builders doing more; and we need the new development corporations set up at arm’s length to local authorities by mayors and combined authorities to replace our dependency on a very small handful of large-scale housebuilders which, I am afraid, will always let us down.

My Lords, irrespective of the merits of the £100 million deal done between the CMA and the seven volume housebuilders, does the Minister agree that we should be reducing and indeed eliminating our dependency as a nation on a small oligopoly of major housebuilders? We need more variety; we need SME builders doing more; and we need the new development corporations set up at arm’s length to local authorities by mayors and combined authorities to replace our dependency on a very small handful of large-scale housebuilders which, I am afraid, will always let us down.

My Lords, I greatly welcome this national housing strategy and the £39 billion that goes with it. Does this mean an end to the sharp decline in the output of social housing for older people, not least because our ageing population leads to the vacating of family homes, creating at least two for one as a result? Is it now time for a major improvement in the number of homes that we build as social housing for older people?

My Lords, I greatly welcome this national housing strategy and the £39 billion that goes with it. Does this mean an end to the sharp decline in the output of social housing for older people, not least because our ageing population leads to the vacating of family homes, creating at least two for one as a result? Is it now time for a major improvement in the number of homes that we build as social housing for older people?

My Lords, I hugely welcome the £39 billion announced in the spending review for affordable housing; it is really good news. Will the Minister comment on a new blockage to getting those homes built: the long delays with the building safety regulator? Are these the major reason why in London the number of new-build starts is way down this year compared with last year? Can we do anything about the delays in approvals by the building safety regulator?

My Lords, I hugely welcome the £39 billion announced in the spending review for affordable housing; it is really good news. Will the Minister comment on a new blockage to getting those homes built: the long delays with the building safety regulator? Are these the major reason why in London the number of new-build starts is way down this year compared with last year? Can we do anything about the delays in approvals by the building safety regulator?

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the number of individuals (1) prosecuted, and (2) convicted, under the Vagrancy Act 1824 for each police force area in England and Wales in each year from 2021 for which figures are available.

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the number of individuals (1) prosecuted, and (2) convicted, under the Vagrancy Act 1824 for each police force area in England and Wales in each year from 2021 for which figures are available.

My Lords, I am sure that the Minister would agree that we need to end our dependency on the handful of volume housebuilders, who are never going to produce the quality, let alone the quantity, of homes that we need. Will the Government publish their plans for the new development corporations, not just for new towns but for all major developments, whereby the development corporation acquires the land, has a master plan, parcels it out to SMEs, housing associations and others, and takes back control of place-making?

My Lords, I am sure that the Minister would agree that we need to end our dependency on the handful of volume housebuilders, who are never going to produce the quality, let alone the quantity, of homes that we need. Will the Government publish their plans for the new development corporations, not just for new towns but for all major developments, whereby the development corporation acquires the land, has a master plan, parcels it out to SMEs, housing associations and others, and takes back control of place-making?

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the best and quickest way to reduce the cost to the taxpayer of temporary accommodation is to enable housing associations and councils to acquire and modernise those same properties and to stop paying exorbitant rents for rubbish property?

My Lords, does the Minister agree that the best and quickest way to reduce the cost to the taxpayer of temporary accommodation is to enable housing associations and councils to acquire and modernise those same properties and to stop paying exorbitant rents for rubbish property?

My Lords, has the Minister considered the proposal from the Centre for Ageing Better for good home hubs, where older people whose homes are inaccessible, cold and unsafe can get all the advice and support they need on adaptations that can make such a difference—the stairlift, the walk-in shower, better insulation—thereby enabling them to live longer independently and to take the pressure off the NHS and care services?

My Lords, has the Minister considered the proposal from the Centre for Ageing Better for good home hubs, where older people whose homes are inaccessible, cold and unsafe can get all the advice and support they need on adaptations that can make such a difference—the stairlift, the walk-in shower, better insulation—thereby enabling them to live longer independently and to take the pressure off the NHS and care services?

My Lords, market rents in the private rented sector are often unaffordable for those on low incomes, which is why I greatly welcome the Government’s announcement this month of more funds for social housing. Roughly what proportion of the 1.5 million new homes the Government are planning for this parliamentary Session will be affordable to those on average incomes and below?

My Lords, market rents in the private rented sector are often unaffordable for those on low incomes, which is why I greatly welcome the Government’s announcement this month of more funds for social housing. Roughly what proportion of the 1.5 million new homes the Government are planning for this parliamentary Session will be affordable to those on average incomes and below?

My Lords, the Minister may have seen the Sunday Times article by Martina Lees with the headline:

“Our grotty B&B bedroom costs taxpayers £2,383 a month”.

Can the Minister update us on the local authority housing fund, which enables the purchase of rundown properties for use on a temporary basis for temporary accommodation, which will save an enormous amount of money? In the long-term, with ownership by the council or a housing association, those properties can be used for years to come, providing vastly better value for money than the £283 a month for really grotty accommodation in the private sector.

My Lords, the Minister may have seen the Sunday Times article by Martina Lees with the headline:

“Our grotty B&B bedroom costs taxpayers £2,383 a month”.

Can the Minister update us on the local authority housing fund, which enables the purchase of rundown properties for use on a temporary basis for temporary accommodation, which will save an enormous amount of money? In the long-term, with ownership by the council or a housing association, those properties can be used for years to come, providing vastly better value for money than the £283 a month for really grotty accommodation in the private sector.

To ask His Majesty’s Government when they will implement the recommendations of the report from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce, published on 26 November.

To ask His Majesty’s Government when they will implement the recommendations of the report from the Older People’s Housing Taskforce, published on 26 November.

I thank the Minister for that positive response, and I congratulate Professor Julienne Meyer and her task force on a really good report. Have the Minister and his Government paid particular attention to at least three of the key recommendations from this report, such as that 10% of all affordable housing should be for older people, that planners should require a percentage of all major developments to be for older people, and that stamp duty should be exempt where an older person is downsizing, rightsizing, making way for and releasing a home for a family elsewhere?

I thank the Minister for that positive response, and I congratulate Professor Julienne Meyer and her task force on a really good report. Have the Minister and his Government paid particular attention to at least three of the key recommendations from this report, such as that 10% of all affordable housing should be for older people, that planners should require a percentage of all major developments to be for older people, and that stamp duty should be exempt where an older person is downsizing, rightsizing, making way for and releasing a home for a family elsewhere?

My Lords, does the Minister agree that it would be very unwise to rely on the oligopoly of volume housebuilders to produce all the homes that we need? Has the time come and are the Government now ready to promote the model of the development corporation? It is an arm’s-length body controlled by local authorities which buys the land. It then has a master plan and parcels out the sites—yes, to the volume housebuilders, but also to housing associations and those building for students and older people and the SME builders. Is not that model now really necessary rather than reliance on those major volume housebuilders?

My Lords, does the Minister agree that it would be very unwise to rely on the oligopoly of volume housebuilders to produce all the homes that we need? Has the time come and are the Government now ready to promote the model of the development corporation? It is an arm’s-length body controlled by local authorities which buys the land. It then has a master plan and parcels out the sites—yes, to the volume housebuilders, but also to housing associations and those building for students and older people and the SME builders. Is not that model now really necessary rather than reliance on those major volume housebuilders?

My Lords, rather than incentives for reluctant landlords, could the Minister say whether the Government are considering incentives to landlords who want to exit the market to sell to the social housing landlords who can modernise the properties

and let them long term on a secure basis at affordable rents to people who will not be able to afford the private rented sector?

My Lords, rather than incentives for reluctant landlords, could the Minister say whether the Government are considering incentives to landlords who want to exit the market to sell to the social housing landlords who can modernise the properties

and let them long term on a secure basis at affordable rents to people who will not be able to afford the private rented sector?