Housing minister Matthew Pennycook has told a committee of MPs he is ”convinced” the government can deliver its 1.5 million new homes target over this parliament.

Pennycook said the government would not be setting annual targets but Eshalomi asked: “If you don’t have any interim targets, even something for the sector to respond to, how are we realistically going to measure progress or any slippage?”

He added he was “comfortable” the government will reach the target by the end of its five-year term.