Housing: Construction
Communities and Local Government

Jack Dromey (Birmingham, Erdington, Labour)

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings officials from his Department have had with banks, building societies and mortgage lenders on self-build policy since May 2010; and if he will place in the Library a copy of all the (a) meetings, (b) correspondence and (c) minutes of such meetings.

Grant Shapps (Minister of State (Housing and Local Government), Communities and Local Government; Welwyn Hatfield, Conservative)

DCLG officials have worked closely with umbrella organisations like the Building Societies Association in developing the “Self Build Action Plan to promote the growth of self build housing” (National Self Build Association, July 2011) and the framework for the £30 million investment fund to help group projects which will be announced shortly. In preparing the action plan, officials participated in an industry-led finance sub-group, chaired by the Building Societies Association, which looked in detail at the finance challenges facing self builders. Barclays Bank, Nationwide and Hanley Building Society were represented on the sub-group.

Details of the work of this sub-group are set out in the Self Build Action Plan. Officials have held no other meetings with banks, building societies and mortgage lenders with regard to self-build policy.

The Government do not normally disclose specific information about internal meetings which inform the development of Government Policy as it undermines the ‘private space' needed to allow officials to have free and frank discussions with external partners, and advise Ministers on policy options. Without such discussions the objective consideration of all policy options and their implications would be inhibited.