Good morning!
Welcome back to the Politics Hub on this Thursday, 12 December.
The government is today launching its latest version of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), setting out plans to, as Sir Keir Starmer once said, “bulldoze” the planning system and build 1.5 million houses by the next general election.
Ministers are demanding “immediate, mandatory” housing targets from councils as part of its plans, and say they will impose plans if councils do not move fast enough.
The PM and his deputy, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, are out and about today, and we expect to hear from them a little later.
Also on today’s agenda is the NHS – we are expecting the latest statistics on the health service’s performance from 9.30am, so stay tuned to Sky News for the latest on those.
And the foreign secretary has escaped the miserable British winter and flown to the Caribbean to “launch a new partnership to help tackle organised crime, boost economic growth and adapt to the climate crisis”. I’m sure there’ll be time for a cocktail and a dip in the sea…
Over in parliament…
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds and his team will face an hour of questions from MPs from 9.30am.
We are also expecting a ministerial statement on the government’s housing plans, but we await confirmation from the Commons.
Over in the Lords, there will be a debate starting around lunchtime on the government’s changes to inheritance tax rules for farmers.
And the Foreign Affairs Committee will be speaking to two witnesses about international law in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We’ll bring you the latest on that after it kicks off at 11.30am.
We’ll be discussing all of that and more with…
- Matthew Pennycook, housing minister, at 7.15am;
- Kevin Hollinrake, shadow housing secretary, at 8.15am.
Follow along for the very latest political news.
