PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Housing: Construction (22 June 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the national shortage of building supplies reported by the Construction Leadership Council in May 2021, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of that shortage on the Government’s plans to support more (a) small to medium-sized house builders and (b) self-builders into the housing sector.

Asked by:
Fleur Anderson (Labour)

MHCLG is aware of reports of shortages for some materials and is monitoring the situation. We are examining the barriers that SME housebuilders face as part of our ongoing work to improve productivity and competition in the housing market and open the market up to smaller builders.

The Government is supporting the sector through our existing £3 billion Home Building Fund (Short Term Fund). The Fund provides development loans to help those building homes for sale or rent and is available to borrowers that can demonstrate an inability to access finance via the private market. The Fund is a flexible source of funding administered by Homes England on behalf of the Government and is currently open to applications

Additionally, the Bacon Review, commissioned by the Prime Minister, is undertaking a report to establish a plan to scale up self and custom build homes and provide recommendations to Government. If material shortages become an ongoing and material obstacle to growth it will be factored into our plans to support the sectors.

Answered by:
Christopher Pincher (Independent)
28 June 2021