But she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "This isn't about tearing up the planning system. It just means there is more land ready and available so when the market indicates more housing is needed."

Gordon Brown is expected to announce in the Budget whether he will support changes to housing taxation and planning law to boost housebuilding.

'Unwelcome effects'

At present, fewer homes are being built in Britain than at any time since the 1920's.

Although the UK population is only growing slowly, immigration, divorce and longer life expectancy mean that the number of households in the UK is growing apace.
The Barker Review follows an equally eagerly awaited Treasury-backed report published last week by Professor David Miles of Imperial College London.

The Miles report looked at ways to encourage more long-term mortgages to stabilise the UK housing market.
It recommended that mortgage lenders be required to offer existing customers the cheaper deals they give to new customers.

Overall, demand for housing is outstripping supply and driving UK house prices ever higher.

In December, the interim version of Ms Barker's review concluded that homeowners would have saved £8bn if house prices had risen at the rates seen in continental Europe.