Chief executives of major developers will be quizzed as MPs proble the role of small and medium-sized developers, the skills, size and sustainability of the workforce, the planning process and development finance.

The committee will also consider innovative ways of meeting demand including off-site construction and direct commissioning by central Government.

The Committee is now inviting submissions of evidence on the following issues:

• whether the numbers of builders and types of firms in the homebuilding industry is sufficient to meet housing demand
• the structure of the homebuilding industry, in particular the role of small and medium-sized developers
• housebuilders’ business models and how risk and uncertainty affect incentives to expand
• the sustainability, size and skills of the building industry workforce
• why fewer homes are being started and completed than the number of planning permissions being granted
• the extent to which current planning approaches cause delays to the building of new homes
• innovative approaches to increasing the housing supply, for example self-build, off-site construction and direct commissioning by central government and local housing companies
• the role of development finance and how it can promote or constrain housing investment

To send a written submissions by 12 September 2016 click here

Clive Betts MP, Chair of the Committee, said: “The capacity of the homebuilding industry is a key factor in housing supply, which is simply not keeping up with demand and has left us in the midst of a crisis.

“The Committee will cast a critical eye over the major homebuilders, examine the decline of small and medium-sized developers and look closely at the skills shortages, planning delays and finance issues hampering the industry.

“Our wide-ranging inquiry will also explore alternative models, such as self-builds and off-site construction, to see if such innovative approaches to homebuilding can help address the country’s housing needs.”