UK new homes rose during July to September from the 33,390 completions booked in the previous quarter, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The figures cover homebuilding by private firms, housing associations and local authorities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The data covers the first few weeks after Labour won the General Election on 4 July last year.

The new government has pledged to build 1.5 million new homes over five years and green light 150 decisions on major infrastructure projects by the end of the parliament.

As part of these plans, the Chancellor is expected to give a major speech today (29 January), where she will outline the government’s next moves on planning reform.

At the weekend, Rachel Reeves revealed plans for more houses to be built near train stations around the UK, among other infrastructure reforms, “to kick start economic growth”.

She also confirmed that the government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill will be published in the spring and will “take an axe to red tape” that slows down the approval of major projects.

On housing, the government said its “next steps on planning reform” include streamlining national policies for decision-making to guide planning decisions taken by local authorities and promote housebuilding in key areas.