This article examines the relationship between land supply and housing development in Britain and The Netherlands, two countries conventionally perceived to be very different in this respect. The article forwards a dual approach to analysis. The first is focused on fundamental differences. These are elaborated in terms of demographic factors, political process and physical land conditions. The second approach expands on a framework devised by Needham & Lie (1994), which is adapted here for the analysis of land policy over time. The article examines the complex nature of land policy in both countries. It thereby highlights the difficulties in providing a robust analytical framework capable of bridging comparison over time and of concluding on the extent of policy convergence.