With the need to bring Tory MP waverers on side before Parliament votes on the Brexit deal and fulfil May’s pledge that austerity was coming to an end, it was no surprise that the Budget didn’t focus on boosting housing supply, as it did last year.

But recognising that increasing housing supply is still a hot political issue, Hammond announced an extra £500m for the Housing Infrastructure Fund and the extension of Help to Buy by two years to 2023, albeit limited to first time buyers. He also confirmed the lifting of the borrowing cap for council house building which is particularly welcome as previous budgets have focused on stimulating the supply of homes for sale.

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