ALOK Sharma, the new minister for housing and planning, will have "a lot in his in-tray", say key industry figures.

The bosses of trade bodies for estate agents and residential letting agents were quick to congratulate Mr Sharma on his appointment - and to point out the improvements they want to see in the industry.

In a joint statement, David Cox, chief executive of ARLA Propertymark (the Association of Residential Letting Agents) and Mark Hayward, chief executive of NAEA Propertymark (the National Association of Estate Agents) said: "We call on the minister to build upon the underwhelming recommendations contained within the Housing White Paper and take forward a series of fundamental reforms to change the industry for the better.

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"Demand continues to greatly outstrip supply and more appropriate regulation of the sector is vital if we are to improve the experience of people looking to rent and purchase a home."

Mr Sharma tweeted that he was "honoured" to be appointed minister of state for housing and planning "to work on building the homes #Britain needs".