PoliticsUK

Mr Speaker,

I am proud to unveil the legislative programme necessary to grant the government the legal powers required to embark upon our well-publicised new housing strategy. The powers granted to the government by this bill, which are automatically rescinded at the next dissolution of Parliament, will enable the government to designate specific areas of greenbelt land for the development of new garden cities.

I can today announce the location of the first three new garden cities, each supporting 50,000 homes, 40% of which will be affordable and starter homes. The first location is between Kenilworth and Henley-in-Arden, and will be named Disraeli Garden City after Benjamin Disraeli, the first British Prime Minister from an ethnic minority background and the only Jewish Prime Minister to date. The second location is between Northwich and Warrington, and will be named Brunel Garden City after Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the engineering genius of the Victorian age. The third location, just north of Askern, will be named Pankhurst Garden City after the leader of the Suffragette movement, Emmeline Pankhurst.

All three garden cities will be built according to the specifications already set out by the government, featuring extensive green spaces, public and communal gardens, a large number of public facilities and effective public transport networks. Funding for the cities was made available in the budget.

Mr Speaker, I commend this bill to the House.

Division! Clear the Lobbies!

ORDER!

The Ayes to the Right: 294
The Noes to the Left: 299

The Noes have it, the Noes have it.

Unlock.

Breakdown (Aye/No)

Con - 276/23
Labour - 0/246
SNP - Abstain
Lib Dems - Abstain
DUP - 10/0
CUK - 0/7
SF - Abstain
Plaid - 0/4
Alba - Abstain
Greens - 0/2
UKIP - 0/2
Indies - 8/15