The Autumn Statement should concentrate on affordable housing

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Philip Hammond attends a meeting last week at the Bank of China head office building in Beijing (Reuters)

I wholeheartedly agree with your economics editor, Ben Chu, that Chancellor Philip Hammond should urgently prioritise investment in new affordable housing as a key measure in his Autumn Statement this year.

Stimulating our economy will be key in the wake of Brexit and building more affordable homes would be an excellent start. Housing’s positive impact on the economy is well-established with every pound invested in construction stimulating an extra £2.84 and housing can be delivered relatively quickly compared with large scale infrastructure projects. There are already “shovel-ready” existing house building projects available which could quickly be brought into play.

Of the £45bn invested in housing in the five years up to 2020-21, only £2bn was directed to affordable housing; the rest was targeted through various measures to support home-ownership, creating a programme that looked unbalanced even before the recent referendum vote. Changed market conditions now demand that the Government rebalance its housing programme away from such a high reliance on home-ownership and increase the provision of affordable homes for rent.

Mr Hammond must be bold and tread where previous governments have gone to great effect. During the 2008 financial crisis, the government boosted the Homes and Communities Agency’s grant programme by £1.7bn as a deliberate stimulus to construction. Two-thirds of that came from underspends in other departments and one-third from reallocating Department for Communities and Local Government spending, proving that counter-cyclical investment programmes do not always require new borrowing. Affordable housing construction output subsequently increased to more than 56,000 units in 2010-11 – the country kept building and the positive impact on the economy was significant.

Difficult situations require bold moves and Mr. Hammond has the opportunity to be bold in his Autumn Statement. One thing is clear – the time to act is now, not only because of the economic benefits which could be realised, but because of the price that individuals, families and communities will pay if we fail to get housing right.

Terrie Alafat, chief executive, Chartered Institute of Housing
London WC1​

The treatment of child refugees is appalling

The article on European behaviour of child refugees is utterly shocking and appalling. It shows the majority of European countries really don't care about what happens to other countries’ children, and to do the right thing and protect these poor children.

It sickens me to think about these countries, UK included, that we are so caught up with the immigration issue; when there is a very real urgent need, Europe looks away. I feel very ashamed of Westminster (all of them), I feel even more ashamed and angry at the European Parliament and EU for their behaviour. Action is needed, not red tape and petty rubbish that has infected the EU countries mind set.

I remember Romania's children and the orphans, and the appalling conditions they lived in, the help and supplies these children received, the adoption into families across Europe.

And now? These children have been through war, lost everything, their families, their homes, their friends.

Europe needs urgent reform. If we act now and look after the children, they will remember Europe helped. If we don't, it will burn into their minds and hatred will set in.

How we act now, will affect our future in years to come. History has already proved that.

Caroline Light
Salisbury

America needs to wake up before it is an international laughing stock

We all remember John McEnroe shouting “you cannot be serious” at tennis umpires. Well, if he had a worldwide copyright on those words today at £1 per utterance, he would become at least a billionaire over the past and following next few months.

Donald Trump for president of the United States? You cannot be serious. I’m amazed that he was even allowed to join the party let alone become their Republican nominated candidate. Donald Trump has no experience of government or grasp of diplomacy whatsoever and he is nothing more than a loud, rude showman, who will, should he win, make America an international laughing stock.

"I will make America great again" he says. Well guess what? America is already great, albeit a tad less so since Trump showed up.

Can you imagine our world post President Trump? It will be like an old western, but Donald Trump is no John Wayne, though he would do well to take onboard a couple of Waynes lines: “Life is tough, but it's tougher when you are stupid / Talk low, talk slow and don't talk too much.”

I expect the comedy aspect would be great fun though. Can you imagine the world’s presidents and prime ministers with contorted faces trying to bite their bottom lip when in conference with the so called leader of the western and free world. Predominately educated, experienced, respected and intelligent people having to bite the bullet and pay homage to another ill-chosen American presidential disaster.

Obama is intelligent, articulate, considered, statesmanlike and steady and will doubtless be sorely missed. Hillary Clinton has to be the only real plausible choice, unless the whole process is abandoned and started again from scratch.

John Harrison
Beccles

The SNP should expand to England and form a credible opposition

We are in the perilous state of having a Government with no effective opposition. The Labour Party looks less capable of reforming itself by the day, while the SNP offers the only glimmer of a coherent criticism of government actions.

The SNP should incorporate the word AND into their name and become the Scottish and National Party. They should then put up candidates in English constituencies and begin to unite the country from the North southwards.

Ashley Herbert
Address supplied

Blame the Brits for the chaos at Dover

Whoever is to blame for the chaos at Dover over the weekend, I cannot understand why so many people think Dover-Calais is the only route across the Channel. You quoted one driver who was travelling from Birmingham to Barcelona – why travel via Calais? A much easier route would be via Portsmouth.

I think that the majority of Brits just like to get on a motorway and drive without stopping off and enjoying any of the delights of French towns and countryside en route. Perhaps the threat of summer long queues at Dover might make them think again!

Shirley Pritchard
London, SW19

In his letter (25 July), Stephen Shuter blames the French reaction to Brexit for the queues to Dover over the weekend, and contrasts them to the probable lack of similar queues in Holland, Spain and Germany.

Is he not aware of the Schengen Agreement, which allows free uninterrupted passage across most of Europe’s borders – an agreement that the UK did not sign up to?

Don't blame the French – it was our decision not to join up the original agreement that has caused the problems.

David J Williams
Colwyn Bay