Cat Smith housing speech

Lancaster MP Cat Smith speaks in Parliament about housing problems in the city.

Transcript

00:00Will he join me in paying tribute to the Lancaster Guardian for their recent investigative report

00:04into the reality for many families in the Lancaster district living in temporary

00:08accommodation. This is paired with a frustration I hear from local house builders and developers

00:13about the delays in the planning process in the district in order to build those homes.

00:17Is there anything further the Minister thinks that can happen in Lancaster

00:20that would help ensure that families in the district actually had secure housing?

00:25I thank my honourable friend. She knows that we're doing everything possible in this place

00:29to streamline and improve the planning legislation and the planning processes with clear signals

00:34to everybody across the country that we need to build and build rapidly not least for our

00:38housing targets. Local councils play an important role in this process as we know to make decisions

00:43for local development and I understand that in Lancaster City Council my honourable friend has

00:47had some struggles with the Green Party and becoming blockers as opposed to builders.

00:51I would say to them and people across the country they need to get behind the build

00:54agenda because that is what the British people voted for.