Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 33
33
Deferred
Address critical skills shortages in construction within the long-term housing strategy by early 2025
Recommendation
MHCLG explained that it is committed to producing a long-term housing strategy early in 2025 that will focus on both supply and quality. It suggested that the strategy would set out a range of actions across the supply chain, on issues such as: skills; planning; working with developers; breaking down barriers to development; building up the role of SMEs; reforms to social housing; the new towns taskforce; building up the capacity of local planning authorities to work through cases faster; and the barriers holding back stalled sites. We emphasised that, even if other issues are dealt with, there is a critical need for people with the skills to actually do the building, and that MHCLG must address this in order to deliver greater numbers of houses.48
Government Response Summary
The government agrees and will publish a long-term housing strategy, including actions to achieve its vision, after the Spending Review 2025. The response also notes Homes England's past housing delivery achievements.
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: after Spending Review 2025 6.2 In 2023-24 Homes England exceeded their housing delivery targets by enabling the completion of 32,320 homes against a target of 29,641, facilitating the start of construction for an additional 35,676 homes against a target of 32,967 and unlocked land that is capable of delivering 26,273 further homes against a target of 25,788. 6.3 In terms of affordable housing, Homes England had a target of 19,500 completions in 2023-24 but exceeded this by achieving 22,115 completions. Homes England are currently working with MHCLG officials to design the new AHP programme with new targets set to match the government’s ambition and reflect current market conditions. 6.4 MHCLG will publish a housing strategy which will set out a long-term vision for a housing market that works for communities, builds 1.5 million high-quality homes, and the biggest increase in affordable housing for a generation. It will include the actions that government will take to reach this vision, building on the announcements already made, and providing long-term certainty for the market.