House building is a serious topic but a debate in Parliament was reduced to ‘fiddle-faddle’.

MPs had been talking about allowing urban property owners to build up - not out - to the height of the tallest building in the same block without requiring planning permission.

Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman told minister Sajid Javid: “Surely the Secretary of State is not going to fiddle-faddle with regulations like this... what this country needs, given the housing and homes crisis - the deepest in a hundred years - is bold, imaginative innovation in the house-building programme, and we want it now.”

Instead of replying with the government’s plan on house-building, Mr Javid replied: “I think “fiddle-faddle” is an appropriate description of what happened under 13 years of Labour government...”

In a debate on Neighbourhood Plans Colne Valley MP Jason McCartney asked the minister what plans he has to enhance and extend neighbourhood plans, which would give communities more say over development.

Mr McCartney said: “I think we would all welcome local communities being involved in their local plans in more detail... one of the big challenges is ensuring that developers use land that they already have planning permission for, with a particular emphasis, as we have heard, on brownfield sites?”

The minister agreed and said the Neighbourhood Planning Bill “will make a difference” as it will streamline the process.