House-building lies at the heart of the Government’s long-term economic plan, according to housing minister and Ilkley MP Kris Hopkins.

Writing in Inside Housing magazine, Mr Hopkins said government investment was enabling the homes this country needs to be built and creating opportunities for hard-working people to get on, “whether that’s to own their own home or to start a new job.”

He added: “These opportunities were taken away by the end of the unsustainable housing boom in 2008. It left builders unable to build and aspiring homeowners unable to buy. But it also meant the loss of tens of thousands of jobs in the construction industry.”

However, Mr Hopkins said the Government’s efforts to turn this around were paying dividends.

“Since 2010, we’ve delivered 420,000 new homes across the country, including 99,000 affordable homes,” he said.

“We’re well on track to deliver 170,000 affordable homes by 2015, with plans to deliver a further 165,000 by 2018.

"And through schemes like Help to Buy and Right to Buy, we’re offering a valuable alternative to the ‘bank of mum and dad’ and have since 2010 been helping more than 110,000 people get on the property ladder.”

The MP said employment prospects were emerging for people new and returning to the industry thanks to the recovery in housing.

He also encouraged developers and social housing providers to sign up to Inside Housing’s Homes Work campaign, encouraging residential developers and social landlords to shout about the numbers of apprenticeships and training opportunities they are offering.