HBF Policy Conference 2014
HBF Policy Conference 2014Tuesday 25 March - 1 Wimpole Street, London
The HBF Policy conference saw some of the early shots in what is set to be a very long general election campaign as housing minister Kris Hopkins and shadow housing minister Emma Reynolds set out the housing policies of their respective parties while highlighting the perceived weaknesses of their opponents.
“Don’t give the house keys back to the guys who smashed your windows, overmortgaged the house and undermined your foundations,” said Hopkins at the HBF Policy conference as he called on housebuilders – and others – not to return a Labour administration next year. After attacking Labour he listed the full range of government initiatives designed to boost housing before calling on the industry “to go back to your boardrooms and ask how we can deliver more new homes". Speaking at today's HBF Policy conference, Hopkins reminded the audience of the initiatives and policies introduced by the coalition, including the Help to Buy equity loan extension and the Builders Finance Fund. "We have removed a lot of the barriers to building more new homes. Tell us what else needs to be done. I want you to build more new homes - I am not going to put a figure on it, but I want more."
His speech followed an equally feisty performance from shadow housing minister Emma Reynolds who accused the government of focusing "almost exclusively" on increasing demand while doing "next to nothing" to boost supply. Reynolds focused on what her party would do on skills to help the industry if elected next year.
Other conference highlights saw Kate Barker return to address the industry ten years after the publication of her review of housing supply while Sir Michael Lyons, who is leading Labour’s review of housing supply, gave his early thoughts ahead of his report later in the year.
Where
1 Wimpole Street (Home of the Royal Society of Medicine) London W1G 0AEAgenda
Approximate conference timings:
Registration 9.30am
Conference start 10am
Conference close 4.00pm
Speakers confirmed..
Kris Hopkins MP
Housing Minister
Emma Reynolds MP
Shadow Housing Minister
Kate Barker
Barker Review
Mark Aedy
Head of EMEA & Asia Investment Banking
Moelis & Company
Geoff Cooper
Chairman
Construction Products Association
Stewart Baseley
Executive Chairman
HBF
Andrew Whitaker
Planning Director
HBF
John Stewart
Director of Economic Affairs
HBF
William Burton
Interim Chief Executive
CITB
Sir Michael Lyons
Lyons Housing Review