Ben Maguire

The hon. Member makes a good point. Of course, his Government have centralised planning policy, so my councillors in North Cornwall have virtually no say about planning applications, be they on infrastructure or affordable homes. When I was reaching out cross-party, what a contrast those cheap political points are. By the way, I work well with my Cornish Labour colleagues for the good of Cornwall and would happily work with Conservative Members and hon. Members across the House to make positive changes for my constituents. I really emphasise that these measures are already being taken in other parts of the United Kingdom: we saw the Labour Government in Wales introduce much of what my hon. Friend the Member for St Ives seeks. Finally, I re-emphasise my commitment to people in my constituency such as Sarah and Frank, who live in Rock and have been sofa-surfing for nine months because they cannot afford to rent anywhere. As was said earlier, when we look on Rightmove for rental accommodation, we see little available, because—guess what?—it is much more profitable to put properties on Airbnb or let them as holiday accommodation. We need to bear those people in mind when we vote—although, given the Government’s opposition to the Bill, we may not get a chance to vote for it today. I hope that today is not the end of the conversation. I mentioned my predecessor from the ’60s, who talked about how acute this issue is in Cornwall, and we have heard similar from hon. Members who represent other parts of the country. I hope that the Minister is listening and that he will finally take action on an issue that has gone on for decades. We have heard various proposals along the way, but we have never seen the action that we need to regulate the housing sector and ensure that our local residents can afford a safe and warm home.