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The government’s green deal policy hasn’t perhaps enjoyed the highest profile in the public consciousness to date.

Perhaps the explanation given to the energy and climate change committee last week by Ed Davey sheds a little light on the reason why.

‘This isn’t a Ritz policy,’ the energy secretary told MPs, ‘but I don’t want to call it a greasy spoon café, because it is much higher quality than that, but it is open to all’.


Real estate investment trusts - better known as REITs - have been mooted as a potentially exciting new way to channel new investment into the social housing sector.

Their excited disciples point out the wave of institutional cash that could flood into the sector as government development grant dwindles, while their detractors fear it will effectively privatise social housing. Whichever side of the fence you sit on (and yes, you should have a view), all those nervously awaiting the government’s response to its consultation on REITs may do well to check their expectations.

Closed Circuit has heard that despite being packed with interested landlords and relevant experts, there was only one big investor present at the Treasury’s meetings on the future of REITs. And apparently said investor wasn’t exactly optimistic about their viability either.


John Prescott is unlikely to feature high on housing minister Grant Shapps’ Christmas card list this year.

Last weekend, the pair got themselves in a scrap over an alleged dirty tricks campaign involving the former deputy prime minister’s credit card spending.

But most seriously for Twitter acolyte Mr Shapps was the accusation that he was using a ‘bot’ to artificially increase his follower numbers on the micro-blogging site. Prezza even got #shappsfollowedme to trend for a while, revealing in an instant the news values of a nation.

To be fair to the housing minister, he played along by retweeting some of the responses, including the most appropriate question: ‘what about those who aren’t sure if you have or haven’t - and don’t care either way?’ Quite.

Send your juicy housing gossip to closedcircuit@insidehousing.co.uk

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