Prime Minister Theresa May has appointed Alok Sharma, MP for Reading West, as minister of state for housing and planning and confirmed Sajid Javid MP is to return as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
Mr Sharma is the third housing and planning minister in three years and succeeds Gavin Barwell, who was appointed as new chief of staff to the prime minister after failing to secure re-election as member of parliament for Croydon Central.
The House Builders Association (HBA) congratulated Mr Sharma on his appointment. Given his parliamentary record in highlighting the damaging impact of late payment for small and medium-sized (SME) businesses, the HBA looks forward to establishing a good working relationship with Mr Sharma.
Rico Wojtulewicz, policy advisor for the HBA, said: “We need to get on with the job of reforming the planning process, unlocking access to finance for SME house builders and enabling them to take on more apprentices. SMEs are the beating heart of local economies working within a 15-mile radius of their HQ, they contribute to filling regional skills and housing shortages.
“Our members, mostly SMEs, are encouraged by Mr Sharma’s previous parliamentary work on tackling late payment, supporting sustainable development and valuing local employment. As housing and planning minister we hope he will be a champion for SMEs.”
The new Minister must focus on implementing the many strong proposals in the Government’s Housing White Paper, the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has said in response to his appointment.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: “We welcome the appointment of Alok Sharma as the new Minister of State for Housing and Planning. He assumes the role at a critical juncture for the delivery of the Government’s ambitious target to build 1.5 million homes between 2015 and 2022.
"Vital to this will be ensuring that the recommendations within the 2017 Housing White Paper, that aim to diversify the supply of new homes and revitalise the SME house building sector, are delivered in full. The previous Housing Minister Gavin Barwell deserves credit for his work in pushing forward a wide range of reforms, including those designed to tackle some of the barriers to growth faced by smaller scale builders, and we hope that Sharma can build on this legacy.
“That the Conservative Party’s manifesto opened up the possibility of local authorities taking a more active role in house building suggests that the Government was still open to new and radical approaches to solving the housing crisis. It would be a shame if such radicalism was now dropped in light of a hung Parliament. We look forward to working closely with the new Minister, whose experience in the Treasury should hold him in excellent stead for the challenges ahead.”
Meanwhile Ruth Davison, Executive Director of Public Impact at the National Housing Federation, says: “We are pleased to see Sajid Javid MP return as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. His understanding of the housing sector, combined with the continuity of his reappointment, will be of reassurance to the sector.
“Housing associations are vital partners for anyone serious about tackling the housing crisis, given their strong track record of delivery and ambition to do more.
“We look forward to working with the Minister and his colleagues to deliver the houses the country so desperately needs and to find a sustainable way to build specialist homes for the elderly and more vulnerable.”
