Government U-turns on support for bird-friendly swift bricks in new homes

Housing minister Steve Reed refuses to back mandating measure, despite giving support while in environment job

The government is refusing to support a new amendment to install a swift brick in every new home - a U-turn by Steve Reed since he became housing secretary.

When he was environment secretary, Reed told a campaigner, Hannah Bourne-Taylor, she was pushing at an open door" and he and others wanted to add to the party's manifesto her proposal that developers must include a 35 hollow brick in every new home.