Mr. John O'Connor:

I might just step in first. There needs to be certainty and consistency in what is happening and what is in place from a policy point of view, if that can be kept to. One of the big issues affecting delivery is having the infrastructure in place, as many of us have indicated, namely water, wastewater and electricity. They are critical. There is also a need for certainty in the planning system. If somebody is going to build, they need to know that the infrastructure is in place and that they can get planning permission. If they are doing a reasonable development in accordance with the development plan, they need to know they can get permission for that. It can take years and years even to get a development started. I would focus on that.

On our recommendation for a housing delivery oversight office, it is about co-ordination and partnership and stopping this division we talk about between the public sector and the private sector.

We have a housing emergency and we need to get on and remove the barriers. The number of barriers to progressing is too great.