Former Mace director turned Labour MP, Mike Reader, has been appointed chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Excellence in the Built Environment (APPGEBE).
Reader was elected MP for Northampton South in the July 2024 general election, winning the seat from Conservative MP Andrew Lewer, former chair of the APPG for SME housebuilders.
Reader has a background in civil engineering and spent two decades in the construction sector, including more than six years in senior posts at Mace and a decade at Pick Everard.
The cross-party group he chairs has launched an inquiry – titled How can we build 1.5 million quality homes in this Parliament? – to examine the government’s housebuilding target.
The inquiry will gather insights from industry experts and the public on how to meet the ambitious housebuilding numbers without compromising quality, safety and design.
Recent figures suggest that more than 300,000 additional homes a year will be needed if Labour wants to hit its target by 2029.
‘Vital to provide a lasting legacy’
Reader said: “Government has set out a hugely ambitious homebuilding programme and is backing this up with the biggest funding support in a generation. It is absolutely vital that this is spent in a way that can help provide a lasting legacy for communities with homes of the highest quality, and that we avoid problems of the past.”
The APPGEBE is supported by the Construction Industry Council (CIC), which in April launched a call for evidence to inform the parliamentary group’s inquiry.
Graham Watts, CIC’s chief executive, said: “There is a great deal riding on the government and the industry to deliver on its promises. CIC is absolutely delighted to be supporting the APPGEBE and contributing to this hugely important topic.”
The inquiry began taking oral evidence on 14 July and will continue holding sessions until 21 July. The APPGEBE expects to publish a report with its findings in the autumn.
