Speeches by Pennycook.

“It does all depend on bids. The Committee will know that the way the affordable homes programme works is on the basis of strategic partnerships but then continuous market engagement. In terms of our 10-year new social and affordable housing programme, it may well be the case that we get bids through that strategic part…”

“Do you want to comment specifically on our engagement with the sector in terms of coming forward with a joint vision for numbers?”

“It is a reasonable question. Again, there are nuances and complexities in these things. When it comes to grant funding affordable homes, it is important to be clear on two things. I am not sure it is always apparent to honourable Members how these things work, but there is an intuitive sense that these affordable homes…”

“I appreciate fully why you are trying, Chair, but I will not be drawn other than to say we expect the taskforce to submit its final report this summer. We expect it to submit its final report to the Department this summer.”

“We are keeping it under review, absolutely.”

“We are reflecting, and it is partly why I say that is the Government’s current position, but we are keeping that matter under review. We do want to, in general, incentivise local areas to want to see the new towns that Sir Michael and his taskforce suggest come forward, so we are keeping that position under review. I s…”

“I do like to reflect. Do you want a Minister who does not reflect?”

“That is what I just said. Our current position is that the homes delivered through the new towns programme will be over and above LHN. That is partly because many of these sites will not start building out until the later years of this Parliament. Some will not start building out in this Parliament at all. We are takin…”

“I would say two things. We very deliberately set up the taskforce so that we had independent expert advice as to what the appropriate locations were, which is a complex task for it to come up with answers to. Therefore, our expectation is that, when we see that report, it is a very considered and detailed piece of work…”

“What deadlines?”

“I might bring Will and Jo in after, but I suppose I would say two things in that regard. This is where it is important not to reify locations brought forward through the new towns programme. There may have been sites that were offered up to us by local areas and communities across the country that Sir Michael does not …”

“We will progress a new towns programme, yes.”

“This is where it is really important to understand what we tasked the taskforce to do on our behalf, which is to recommend appropriate locations. Government may ultimately accept all the locations Sir Michael recommends. It may take a view that it can accept only some of those locations, but we need to see what those l…”

“You are assuming that Sir Michael is recommending a substantial number of sites, as you put it.”

“I am not sure I can be any clearer than I have been. We expect the taskforce to submit its final report this summer. When it does so, in a sensible timeframe, we will publish it alongside a government response.”

“I cannot give you that commitment. We intend, as I said, to publish a government response alongside the report. At the point we are able to do that, I am more than happy to come and update the House on both what the taskforce has reported back to us in terms of appropriate locations and all the other issues we asked th…”

“You tempt me into giving you a timeline and I cannot give you one. We want to see those locations made public, and the Government’s response and how we intend to proceed made public, as soon as possible. We have no reason to hold back.”

“We are planning to release it with a government response alongside, and we will do that in a sensible timeframe after the report is delivered to us.”

“What is my definition of British summer? Is there not a well‑understood, well‑recognised definition of summer? I would have hoped so. I understand the appetite for seeing the report delivered to the Department, Mr Curtis, but I cannot give you a commitment here today that Sir Michael will deliver it on Mo…”

“We are expecting them, as we have consistently said, to submit their final report in the summer.”