Hilary Benn MP, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, responding to the latest housing figures, said:

“While the Tories say that all is fine with the housing market and everything is back on track, the truth is that they have presided over the lowest level of house building of any peacetime Government since the 1920s. David Cameron’s failure to tackle the shortage of homes is why the cost of housing is rising beyond the reach of many young people and families.

“You can’t deal with the cost-of-living crisis without building more homes for the next generation, and that’s why Labour has committed to getting at least 200,000 homes built a year by 2020.”