Member

The Government are committed to building 1.5 million new homes in this Parliament. A year ago, we announced major changes to the national planning policy framework that are forecast by the OBR to deliver 170,000 additional homes and add £6.8 billion to the economy in 2029-30: the largest upgrade to the size of the economy through a non-fiscal measure that the OBR has ever scored. That will raise the supply of housing as the Government are doing through their ambitious programme of reform. That is the route to improving housing affordability for tenants up and down the country. I encourage Opposition Members expressing an interest in ensuring that rents stay low on a sustainable basis for tenants to support the Government in their efforts to reform the planning system rather than focusing narrowly on one relatively modest change to taxation.