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Morning Briefing: Raab attacks ‘vice-like grip’ of big business

Developers delay building homes to keep prices high, ainfluential government review on housebuilding is set to conclude.

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Morning Briefing: Raab takes aim at big business #ukhousing

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The draft analysis of Sir Oliver Letwin’s review into the length of time between planning permission being granted and a site being completed is expected today, but it was trailed with an interview in yesterday’s Sunday Telegraph.

According to that paper, the analysis – only an interim stage of the review – has found that the main problem is what many call ‘land banking’, whereby developers delay the completion of new homes so that prices remain high.

However, the actual report presents a more nuanced view of this issue, saying there is "no evidence" that builders try and drive up prices, more that they try not to release homes slowly enough so as not to reduce profits. Read our report of his findings here.

Sir Oliver is not the only Conservative taking aim at developers this morning. Housing minister Dominic Raab, in an interview with i, has promised to break the “vice-like grip” of big builders on the industry.

Meanwhile, the Financial Times covers a report from Conservative thinktank Onward which proposes stripping a key tax break from buy-to-let landlords in order to help out first-time buyers.

It must be that time of year, because The Observer also had a thinktank report to write about yesterday.

This one is from the Resolution Foundation, which says young families have lost access to social housing as quickly as they have to homeownership.

Meanwhile, Home Office minister Victoria Atkins has made headlines in The Telegraph with an endorsement of a plan – currently being tested in north London – to punish the families of people who commit crimes by evicting them from council housing.

The Guardian’s coverage of the proposals includes comments from human rights group Liberty, which says they may contravene human rights laws.

The Guardian also has a story on the government’s new plans for procurement post-Carillion.

Cabinet Office minister David Lidington will today unveil new measures that would make it easier for small businesses, mutuals, charities, cooperatives and social enterprises to take on government contracts, the paper says.

Away from all these policy developments, The Guardian on Saturday ran an investigation on whether landlords are fiddling new rules preventing them from letting out poorly insulated properties.

And the Grenfell Tower Inquiry is rumbling on. Friday’s The Architects’ Journal uncovered that the inquiry had sacked an expert witness for misrepresenting his qualifications.

The Times, meanwhile, previews today’s hearing, reporting that it will focus again on firefighters’ use of the ‘stay put’ policy on the night.

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What’s on

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry will today take evidence from Mike Dowden, North Kensington watch manager for the London Fire Brigade, who was in command for the first hour of the fire.

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