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<li><a href="../../../roofblog">ROOF Blog</a></li><li><a href="../../../roofblog/2007/05">May 2007</a></li>
<li>Lunchtime news May 31</li></ul>
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<h1>Lunchtime news May 23</h1>
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<p class="blog_date">23/05/2023</p>
<p class="blog_author"><strong>Posted by:</strong><br/>Julian Birch</p>
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<p>The rate of housebuilding in the <strong>Thames Gateway</strong> needs to double if the government is to meet its target of 160,000 homes by 2016, according to a critical report by the <a href="http://www.nao.org.uk/pn/06-07/0607526.htm" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.nao.org.uk/pn/06-07/0607526.htm’);"><strong>National Audit Office</strong></a>. The NAO says building rates are rising more slowly than in the rest of the South East and that ministers have not yet produced a coherent, full-costed plan.</p>
<p><strong>Home information packs</strong> could be doomed, says <a href="http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/article1826846.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://property.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/property/article1826846.ece’);"><strong>The Times</strong></a>, with Ruth Kelly’s <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/29fbf0bc-085b-11dc-b11e-000b5df10621.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/29fbf0bc-085b-11dc-b11e-000b5df10621.html’);"><strong>climbdown</strong></a> yesterday leading to them being quietly dropped. The <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=456920&in_page_id=1770&ct=5" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=456920&in_page_id=1770&ct=5’);"><strong>Mail</strong></a> calls it a ‘humiliation’ while the <a href="http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2085948,00.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2085948,00.html’);"><strong>Guardian</strong></a> says the communities secretary is under attack from both estate agents and environmentalists. Go <a href="http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1510801" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1510801’);"><strong>here</strong></a> for Kelly’s statement and <a href="http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&PressNoticeID=2427" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&PressNoticeID=2427’);"><strong>here</strong></a> for the press release.</p>
<p>Homeless young people won’t benefit from government plans to offer <strong>free tuition</strong> up to A level because of housing benefit regulations, says the <a href="http://www.foyer.net/mpn/story.php?sid=1389" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.foyer.net/mpn/story.php?sid=1389’);"><strong>Foyer Federation.</strong></a></p>
<p>New research from the <a href="http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/filegrab/032007Affordability.pdf?ref=5390" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.cml.org.uk/cml/filegrab/032007Affordability.pdf?ref=5390’);"><strong>Council of Mortgage Lenders</strong></a> [downloads PDF] says 38% of <strong>first-time buyers</strong> under 30 got help with their deposit from their parents and others.</p>
<p>Most of today’s papers cover new statistics showing a <a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1826737.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article1826737.ece’);"><strong>million migrants</strong></a> have gained British citizenship since 1997.</p>
<p><strong>Margaret Hodge</strong> continues to generate the column inches. The <a href="http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article2573274.ece" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://comment.independent.co.uk/leading_articles/article2573274.ece’);" target="_blank"><strong>Independent</strong></a> accusing her of playing into the hands of the BNP and its columnist Deborah Orr calls her ‘simple-minded’ while also exploring the issue of need.</p>
<p>The minister has also achieved the rare feat of turning a housing issue into a hot topic on the <a href="http://www.google.co.uk/blogsearch?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=%22Margaret+Hodge%22+housing&btnG=Search+Blogs" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://www.google.co.uk/blogsearch?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=%22Margaret+Hodge%22+housing&btnG=Search+Blogs’);" target="_blank"><strong>blogosphere</strong></a> – more than 2,000 blog entries so far and counting. Go <a href="http://smalltownscribble.blogspot.com/2007/05/message-to-margaret-hodge-mp.html" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://smalltownscribble.blogspot.com/2007/05/message-to-margaret-hodge-mp.html’);"><strong>here</strong></a> and <a href="http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/2007/05/labour_minister.htmlng&btnG=Search+Blogs" onclick="javascript:urchinTracker(’/external/http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/2007/05/labour_minister.htmlng&btnG=Search+Blogs’);" target="_blank"><strong>here</strong></a> for opposing views.</p>
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