Party challenged over housebuilding policy

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has backed comments criticising government policy towards housebuilding by Conservative shadow housing minister Grant Shapps.

However, the body has challenged the party to provide more details of its alternative policies and to adopt a pledge to lower VAT costs for renovation work.

FMB director of external affairs Brian Berry said Mr Shapps was right to hit out at the "top-down" approach to building new homes by the government, but added that the Conservative Party this is upper case in the last story you wrote needs to "spell out what incentives it intends to introduce" to tackle the issue of not enough new homes being built.

He suggested that adopting the FMB proposal to lower VAT for renovation work and materials from 17.5 per cent to five per cent would be the "ideal start" to make on demonstrating a commitment to addressing housing problems.

Such a move could help encourage more renovation work to be carried out.

Earlier this week the FMB said the government's eco towns scheme was a badly flawed idea.