Member

The right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Chelmsford, my noble friend Lady Lister and others raised the question of housing—the LHA issue. The Government had to take some difficult decisions in the Budget to address the challenging fiscal context. But we clearly have a problem with the housing market. We currently spend around £33 billion a year on support for renters in both private and social rented sectors. One of the things that we are determined to do is work with MHCLG on its long-term housing strategy, which will be published in the spring. That will set out a plan to reform the housing market to work better for communities, to build another 1.5 million high-quality homes and deliver an increase in affordable housing.