Labour government has been one of legislation legislation legislation - Campbell

1.06.46pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 12th Jul 2007

Leader of the Liberal Democrats Menzies Campbell today called on Gordon Brown to focus on the quality of legislation, not on its quantity.

Commenting after the Prime Minister revealed his draft Parliamentary programme, Menzies Campbell pointed out that the last decade has seen eleven health bills, eleven education bills, twenty seven criminal justice bills and over 3,000 new criminal offences put on to the statute.

Menzies Campbell said:

"The Prime Minister should be concerned about the quality of legislation as much as about the quantity.

"The mantra may have been education, education, education, but the reality has been legislation, legislation, legislation."

On the specifics of the statement relating to housing, Menzies Campbell said:

"The Prime Minister's announcement is too little and ten years too late to address the shocking housing crisis we face.

"Since 1997, social housing waiting lists have increased by 50% with an extra 600,000 households waiting for a home. First time buyers now use more of their income buying a home than at any time since 1992.

"The Prime Minister must ensure that much of the extra housing announced today is social or affordable."

Menzies Campbell said that local communities should be central to the planning process. He said:

"Local planning gain should be locally located and it should be locally controlled.

"The Prime Minister must ensure that local authorities are able to reap the benefit of development within their areas and to determine in consultation with their citizens how that benefit should be supplied."

Concluding, Menzies Campbell said:

"We must ensure that as well as pre-legislative scrutiny we also have a regular and effective system for the repeal of legislation which has served its purpose."