MP Russell's housing challenge to Brown

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 12th Jul 2007

Colchester MP Bob Russell challenged Prime Minister Gordon Brown in the House of Commons over the Government's failure to include the building of Council houses as a future commitment.

The Prime Minister's statement to Parliament on the first phase of the new Government's Draft Legislative Programme said that there would be an increase in house building, but Mr Russell pointed out that the words "council housing" had not featured in the speech.

Liberal Democrat Mr Russell taunted Mr Brown: "During the last ten years of the New Labour Government, only 4,000 Council houses were built. In the first ten years of the Thatcher Government, 400,000 Council houses were built.

"The Prime Minister was silent on the building of Council houses. Why is he so hostile towards Council houses? How many of the 240,000 new homes a year will be Council houses."

Mr Brown responded by saying that the incoming Labour Government in 1997 had as a priority the modernisation and improvement of existing houses. "We have renovated stock. We now have to build more stock".

Mr Russell shouted back at him across the Chamber: "You could have done both."

The Colchester MP has been a leading advocate in Parliament for the resumption of the building of Council houses, on a meaningful scale, as the only way in which the growing housing crises can be tackled.

Mr Russell said today: "There are around 4,000 children in Colchester living in housing which is deemed, by current standards, to be inadequate for their needs. This situation is to be found throughout the country. We have had ten wasted years under the Government in which Gordon Brown was the man who controlled the finances and prevented houses being built for those most in need."