HARLOW MP Robert Halfon rose on the floor of the House of Commons to ask a question regarding office blocks in Harlow that have been turned into homes.

Mr Halfon said: “Permitted development rights have been a disaster for my consistency of Harlow, as London councils have socially cleansed their residents and sent 400 troubled families to our constituency.

“We do not have the resources to look after them in the way they should be. Will my hon. Friend look at permitted development rights, undertake a review and ensure Harlow Council has the resources it needs to look after those 400 extra troubled families?

Rishi Sunak Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government) said: “I will be delighted to meet my hon. Friend to discuss that issue. Of course, vulnerable children must be housed appropriately and looked after, but we should ensure that that is done as closely as possible to where it makes sense for their communities.