Housing Minister Caroline Flint under fire » Housing » 24dash.com

Housing Minister Caroline Flint faced Liberal Democrat taunts in the Commons today after accidentally revealing details of a likely fall in house prices.

Ms Flint's briefing notes were picked out by a sharp-eyed photographer as she walked into Downing Street last week.

The note conceded that house prices would fall by 5 to 10% "at best" this year and that "we can't know how bad it will get".

At question time today, Lib Dem Julia Goldsworthy said: "Thanks to your transparent choice of stationery we now know your department expects house prices to, at best, fall by 10 - 15%.

"What's your estimate of the worst case scenario?"

Ms Flint said: "What we are working towards at the moment is how we can engage with the construction industry, the mortgage lenders and how we can work across government to ensure we do whatever we can to deal with the challenges at this current time.

"But fundamentally it's about having a long term view about how we make sure when the upturn comes, and it does, we are on task to build more homes."

Meanwhile, speculation is mounting that Caroline Flint could be removed from the role of Housing Minister if Gordon Brown decides to reshuffle his Cabinet before the summer recess.

The editor of a Labour Party blogging site has even gone as far as tipping left-wing MP Jon Cruddas as the ideal replacement.

Speculating about the possible reshuffle, Alex Hilton, editor of Labourhome.org, wrote: "A left-field appointment would be Jon Cruddas straight into the position of Housing Minister (attending Cabinet).

"A refusal to accept the appointment would be hard for Cruddas considering the prominence with which he leads on the issue.

"It would also signal a shift from the "undeserving poor" agenda of Caroline Flint, which has been so unpopular with rank and file members."

Ms Flint has also come under fire for the Government's increasingly controversial eco-towns programme.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) today claimed that eco-towns would help to disperse communities and weaken their social fabric.

The charity's Proximity Principle report also called for a housing policy which supports "high density living" in which people live closer together and near to amenities such as schools, shops and healthcare.

The CPRE said settlements in which people lived in closer proximity to one another would boost community interaction and make public transport, local services and environmental initiatives more viable.