Question
Statistics are like bathing costumes: what they reveal is interesting, and what they conceal is absolutely vital. The statistics we heard in that answer conceal the fact that this Government are on line to build fewer houses than the last Conservative Government did in a parliamentary term blighted by covid, when many building sites were completely shut down. When it comes to housing, this Government are drowning, not waving, aren’t they?50% point-scoring
Answer
This Government are building, and that 15% increase in starts is a testament to that. I have lost count of the number of times that I have made it clear in this Chamber that our 1.5 million new homes target is an incredibly stretching one, but we remain committed to it. We will not take lectures from a party that fell short of its own distinctly unambitious target of 1 million homes in the last Parliament.33% point-scoring
Verdict: AMBER (47/100)
The reply responds to both parts of the question, but only partly. On whether the Government will build fewer homes this Parliament, it restates the 1.5 million target and compares the previous Government against its 1 million target rather than actual completions, so the question is only indirectly addressed and no clear yes or no is given. On whether the Government is struggling, it answers more directly, citing a 15% rise in housing starts over the last 12 months as evidence of progress, though it does not explicitly reject the claim. Because the central comparison is hedged, the questioner would likely need to ask again for specific figures.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does the department accept that it is on course to build fewer houses this parliament than the previous Conservative Government built in the last parliamentary term, which was affected by covid? | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply neither accepts nor denies that the Government will build fewer homes this parliament; it restates the 1.5 million target and then compares the previous Government's record against its 1 million target rather than its actual completions, so the comparison asked for is only indirectly engaged. |
| Does the department agree that the Government is drowning rather than waving on housing? | Addressed | Direct | Although the reply never uses the 'drowning' metaphor, it implicitly rejects the claim by citing the 15% rise in housing starts over the last 12 months as evidence of progress, which is the concrete evidence bearing on whether the Government is struggling. |