To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the annual value was of fruit and vegetables prohibited from sale in the UK for failing to comply with rules on size, shape and general appearance in each of the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the annual value was of fruit and vegetables prohibited from sale in the UK for failing to comply with rules on size, shape and general appearance in each of the last five years.

That intervention gets to the heart of the difference between the parties on housing. I will come to that later. I know that the Minister has only recently taken on her portfolio, but she would do well to consider these figures. In the last recession, 60,000 affordable homes were built...

That intervention gets to the heart of the difference between the parties on housing. I will come to that later. I know that the Minister has only recently taken on her portfolio, but she would do well to consider these figures. In the last recession, 60,000 affordable homes were built...

I beg to move,"That this House notes that social housing waiting lists have increased to a record 1.8 million families, over 4.5 million people, over the last 12 months; recognises that the Government's policies have reduced levels of house-building across all tenures; cautions that the number of families waiting for...

I beg to move,"That this House notes that social housing waiting lists have increased to a record 1.8 million families, over 4.5 million people, over the last 12 months; recognises that the Government's policies have reduced levels of house-building across all tenures; cautions that the number of families waiting for...

I give way to a Member who I know agrees with that point.

I give way to a Member who I know agrees with that point.

The question is almost as broad as the subject of the debate. We can debate the policies that were in place when I was at school, or we can talk about the future. The most relevant period in history to discuss is probably the past 12 years, during which we...

The question is almost as broad as the subject of the debate. We can debate the policies that were in place when I was at school, or we can talk about the future. The most relevant period in history to discuss is probably the past 12 years, during which we...

That is a matter for local authorities, local government and devolved government, where that exists. Local authorities decide on how to proceed with such matters. That is the whole point of handing power to people locally. The Mayor will decide what is best for his local area; that absolutely makes...

That is a matter for local authorities, local government and devolved government, where that exists. Local authorities decide on how to proceed with such matters. That is the whole point of handing power to people locally. The Mayor will decide what is best for his local area; that absolutely makes...

I would quite simply increase the incentives. The difference between our approach and Labour's is that rather than thinking that the way to solve a housing crisis is to create ever-larger, top-down, Whitehall-driven, almost Soviet tractor-style targets for building homes in people's communities, we can work with communities to create...

I would quite simply increase the incentives. The difference between our approach and Labour's is that rather than thinking that the way to solve a housing crisis is to create ever-larger, top-down, Whitehall-driven, almost Soviet tractor-style targets for building homes in people's communities, we can work with communities to create...

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. I have some sympathy with the Government on this issue, and I have tried to work constructively with them. It is notoriously difficult to work out how many people are living rough because it is so difficult to count them. It is even harder...

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. I have some sympathy with the Government on this issue, and I have tried to work constructively with them. It is notoriously difficult to work out how many people are living rough because it is so difficult to count them. It is even harder...

The hon. Gentleman picks up on an important point. One of the extraordinary things about the Government's programme—I am sure they will talk about this in the debate—is that they allotted £8.4 billion for affordable housing in the comprehensive spending review from April 2008 to 2011. If we ask how...

The hon. Gentleman picks up on an important point. One of the extraordinary things about the Government's programme—I am sure they will talk about this in the debate—is that they allotted £8.4 billion for affordable housing in the comprehensive spending review from April 2008 to 2011. If we ask how...

I imagine that the Minister might be the one apologising—to the Prime Minister, for what he has just said about targets. Can he confirm that 3 million homes by 2020 is no longer a Government target?

I imagine that the Minister might be the one apologising—to the Prime Minister, for what he has just said about targets. Can he confirm that 3 million homes by 2020 is no longer a Government target?

Housing waiting lists. Fifth Opposition Day debate (part 1). Main question negatived on division (229 votes to 311). Amendment agreed to on question.

Housing waiting lists. Fifth Opposition Day debate (part 1). Main question negatived on division (229 votes to 311). Amendment agreed to on question.

Five per cent. of what?

Five per cent. of what?

I am happy to go into an extended debate on this—

I am happy to go into an extended debate on this—

What about now?

What about now?

Will the Minister give way?

Will the Minister give way?

I am grateful to the Minister for being so generous in giving way. She has not commented on the problem of the rough sleeping figures changing simply because of the failure to collect the data, which I mentioned in my speech. Will she comment on that?

I am grateful to the Minister for being so generous in giving way. She has not commented on the problem of the rough sleeping figures changing simply because of the failure to collect the data, which I mentioned in my speech. Will she comment on that?

Fine; with interventions, I am sure that we can. However, I am keen that others should be able to contribute. There are systems of incentives that we can put in place, such as the one linked to council tax. Furthermore, the Government now say that 15,000 homes have to be...

Fine; with interventions, I am sure that we can. However, I am keen that others should be able to contribute. There are systems of incentives that we can put in place, such as the one linked to council tax. Furthermore, the Government now say that 15,000 homes have to be...

If the hon. Gentleman wants to descend into our policy papers, he is welcome to do so. As I said in my conference speech back in October, for example, an element of council tax should be kept locally when new homes are built. That would be an incentive for local...

If the hon. Gentleman wants to descend into our policy papers, he is welcome to do so. As I said in my conference speech back in October, for example, an element of council tax should be kept locally when new homes are built. That would be an incentive for local...

The hon. Lady knows a great deal about social affordable housing and she has hit on a vital point. It is obvious to anybody—we need not pretend otherwise—that we are not about to return to a situation where the section 106 building of all affordable housing will deliver. In the...

The hon. Lady knows a great deal about social affordable housing and she has hit on a vital point. It is obvious to anybody—we need not pretend otherwise—that we are not about to return to a situation where the section 106 building of all affordable housing will deliver. In the...

I appreciate the hon. Gentleman's interest in our manifesto, but I am afraid that he will have to wait for our Green Paper on housing to fill in the details and to find out what the next Conservative Government will do. I am left with the impression that although this...

I appreciate the hon. Gentleman's interest in our manifesto, but I am afraid that he will have to wait for our Green Paper on housing to fill in the details and to find out what the next Conservative Government will do. I am left with the impression that although this...