Oral QuestionDepartment for International Development

“What steps the Government is taking to ensure that the UK maintains its expenditure of 0.7 per cent of GDP on development aid during the covid-19 pandemic.”

Tabled: 23 April 2020Answered: 29 April 2020

Answering Minister

the Secretary of State for International Development

Answer from Hansard

The Prime Minister

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising this matter. We are committed to building those 1.5 million homes, which includes 4,500 new homes every year in Cornwall. I do recognise the point that the hon. Member makes, which is that excessive concentrations of short-term lets and second homes in places such as Cornwall can impact the availability and affordability of homes. That is why we will enable councils to charge a premium on the council tax bills of second homes, abolish the furnished home lettings regime and introduce a registration scheme for short-term lets. I am happy to make sure that he and his Cornish colleagues get the meeting that they want with the Housing Minister to discuss that further.