New Housing Secretary must unleash potential of small builders, says FMB

Commenting on the announcement that James Brokenshire MP has been appointed the new secretary of state for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: “Sajid Javid passes the housing baton to James Brokenshire at a crucial time for the sector. We hope that Brokenshire will build on Javid’s good work, both in terms of raising the profile of housing as an issue at Cabinet level, and implementing some sound policies aimed at tackling the housing shortage. In particular, we are keen to work with the new secretary of state to unleash the capacity of small local house builders. Last year’s Housing White Paper and the November Budget Statement that followed have given us a blueprint for change but now we need to get on and do it. We stand ready to help Brokenshire deliver the 300,000 new homes per year needed in England alone.”