Eco-towns

Part of Topical Debate – in the House of Commons at 12:21 pm on 19 June 2008.

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Photo of Caroline Flint Caroline Flint Minister of State (Department of Communities and Local Government) (Housing) 12:21, 19 June 2008

We have discussed housing needs with local authorities and we will continue to do so. Of all the new homes built in the hon. Gentleman's area in the past year, only 4 per cent. were affordable. So, more houses are being built, but there is a challenge that cannot be ducked: are all the people whom hon. Members represent—those who can afford to buy and those who cannot—getting the chance to have a home that they can rely on, whether to rent or to buy?

I will continue to work with local authorities, as will my colleagues in the Department, to ensure that we recognise the need for housing and that we engage in meaningful debate about where the houses should be. My point to all hon. Members—who are looking at proposals at the moment; this is no done deal—is that, if, at the end of this process, an eco-town is not built in their area, they will still have to face up to the challenge of meeting the need for housing in their community— [ Interruption. ] There are mutterings of "Of course" from those on the Opposition Benches, but the reality is that there are not enough houses being built in many parts of the country, including the areas of the proposed eco-towns, and there are certainly not enough for the people who cannot afford to get on to the property ladder or find homes to rent.