The housing minister Mark Prisk has stressed that the government is "determined to lay the foundations for a sustained improvement in our housing market, regardless of tenure". He said the government needed the investment and entrepreneurial skills of the industry to help achieve that aim.<br> <br> Speaking at the HBF's Policy conference last month, he said the government had the potential to do much more to increase housing supply, including working at pace to accelerate the release of surplus government owned land with housing capacity. "Governments have held onto this land for too long," he said. "We need to put it to good use to provide new homes. To bring more certainty and pace to the programme we have £290 million funding to support a targeted programme of investment."<br> <br> Also at the conference, Homes and Communities Agency chairman Robert Napier said that he would set three priorities for incoming chief executive Andy Rose: to hit the targets for March 2015; to work with housebuilders on what can be delivered; and to increase HCA's commercial skills.<br> <br> Housing minister Mark Prisk – government can do more