New housing minister speaks

Speaking publicly for the first time in his new position public speech, John Healy, housing minister, defended the government’s record on social housing saying that he wanted to increase the visibility of its £8.5billion investment over the current spending period.

Addressing the Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual conference,the minister promised: ‘There’s going to be a great deal of scope for local authorities to do more to meet the economic and housing needs in their area.’He said his decisions would be based on the principles that local authorities should have more ‘flexibility in finances’ and see more control devolved to local areas.

The minister said he wanted to offer more devolved control to housing associations and councils and give them more responsibility for longer-term planning. He said that councils could be expected to play a bigger part in building homes, but also wanted them to take a "wider role."

Mr Healey is the third minister to hold the housing brief since Ms Flint addressed the conference just one year ago. He commented: ‘A London cabbie once told me it took him three years to learn the knowledge. I know I haven’t got that long.’