Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Increasing Home Ownership

Monday 24 January 2022 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Government-backed schemes since 2010 have helped over 756,000 households to purchase homes.
  • The First Homes scheme was launched in June to provide homes discounted by at least 30% for first-time buyers.
  • Local communities determine how many homes are needed in their areas, with housing need numbers serving as a starting point.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Kevin Hollinrake Con Thirsk and Malton
Housing
Context

The question stems from the government's efforts to increase home ownership through various schemes.

Question

What steps his Department is taking to increase home ownership. Since 2010, Government-backed schemes have helped over 756,000 households to purchase their own dream home. Last June, we launched our new flagship First Homes scheme, providing homes discounted by at least 30% for first-time buyers.

Answer from Christopher Pincher

As a Government we are determined to level up opportunities across our country, and that starts with building the homes that our people need. Since 2010, Government-backed schemes have helped over 756,000 households to purchase their own dream home. Last June, we launched our new flagship First Homes scheme, providing homes discounted by at least 30% for first-time buyers.

Answered
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Q2 Kevin Hollinrake Con Thirsk and Malton
Housing
Context

The question builds on the previous inquiry about increasing home ownership, specifically asking for acceleration of delivery and a name change to improve understanding.

Question

First Homes is an excellent initiative that could deliver homes in my constituency for local first-time buyers at even below half price. Will the Minister accelerate their delivery through section 106 agreements, pilot their delivery on public sector land in my constituency, and rename the policy from First Homes to “Half-Price Homes”, because then people would understand it much more clearly?

Answer from Christopher Pincher

My hon. Friend, who is a doughty campaigner for home ownership, teases me. He wishes me to call First Homes “Half-Price Homes”. Perhaps that will become the shorthand name for this project. As to his other questions, we are already commissioning First Homes properties on both public and private sector land through our two early delivery programmes.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not specifically address acceleration via Section 106 agreements or the renaming suggestion.

How: Teases Me

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Q3 Rupa Huq Lab Ealing Central and Acton
Housing Business & Trade
Context

The question comes in response to the government's planning-by-algorithm reform being scrapped, asking for more tailored housing support such as new schemes.

Question

The whole nation breathed a sigh of relief when the Government's planning-by-algorithm so-called reforms were ditched. My constituent Heidi has kept a small hairdressing business going throughout the pandemic but is not eligible for Help to Buy. Will the Minister look at introducing more schemes that would help people like her? We also want things that will preserve suburban character, because all the build-to-let things going up locally, up to 60 storeys high, are destroying everything that people liked about Ealing and Acton.

Answer from Christopher Pincher

We certainly want people such as Heidi to achieve the home that they want. Through Help to Buy, right to buy, right to acquire, help to build and a variety of mechanisms including our 95% fixed-term mortgage guarantee there is a multiplicity of ways in which we can get people on to the housing ladder.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not address introducing new schemes for small business owners or preserving suburban character.

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Q4 James Gray Con
Housing
Context

The question arises from concerns that local communities may be overruled by central government decisions regarding housing land supply.

Question

I am sure the Minister would agree that by far the best people to decide how many homes we want and where they should be are local people. Would he therefore agree with me and the town of Malmesbury in my constituency, which raised the point that the neighbourhood plan, which this Conservative Government brought in, is currently being trumped by the so-called five-year housing land supply figures, which are handed down by central Government? Will he give me a hint as to whether greater importance will be given in the forthcoming housing White Paper to neighbourhood planning?

Answer from Christopher Pincher

I am grateful to my hon. Friend for his question because it gives me the opportunity to make it clear that it is for local communities to determine how many homes they want and need in their vicinity. Local housing need numbers are not an end point; they are a starting point.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not confirm if neighbourhood planning will be prioritised in the White Paper or specify what changes might occur.

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