Analyses government and Conservative assessments of the Barker review's calls for increased housing supply and more social housing to tackle the housing crisis in London and southeast England. It is not a simple choice between massive house building or massive house prices. House price inflation presents government with a dilemma, as house price growth is a motor of economic growth, although it prevents the less affluent from mounting the housing ladder. Government seems discomforted by Barker's advocacy of increased social housing and the Conservatives are against growing the housing supply and social housing. Notes that the head of English Partnerships, given a major role in master planning housing growth by the Communities Plan, backs a land tax to achieve the required growth. Provides a chronology of government steps to close the housing gap and a table covering construction of new homes and social housing 1980-2002.