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and Local Government, Sajid Javid. The first question is from the | :00:00. | :00:00. | |
Conservative MP John Penrosd on planning permission and a hdight of | :00:00. | :00:00. | |
buildings. Water, order. Questions to the | :00:00. | :00:15. | |
Secretary of State for Commtnities and Local Government. Number one, Mr | :00:16. | :00:22. | |
Speaker. Secretary of State, Sajid Javid. My honourable friend | :00:23. | :00:28. | |
highlights the importance of building to higher densities to | :00:29. | :00:33. | |
deliver more homes. Ended up plan for urban regeneration and will set | :00:34. | :00:37. | |
out further proposals later this year. I am delighted at the progress | :00:38. | :00:45. | |
made so far but can I urge him to go further and encourage them to | :00:46. | :00:49. | |
include proposals to build tp not out in his upcoming White P`per to | :00:50. | :00:53. | |
cut development pressure on green fields, release new sites, | :00:54. | :01:00. | |
regenerate urban centres and cut the costs of new homes traumatically? My | :01:01. | :01:06. | |
honourable friend is right to highlight the need for more homes in | :01:07. | :01:10. | |
the right places, so the hotsing market works for everyone. This | :01:11. | :01:15. | |
means encouraging urban regeneration, making the best of | :01:16. | :01:20. | |
brownfield land and building new homes were needed. My housing White | :01:21. | :01:24. | |
Paper will ensure that happdns across the country, including | :01:25. | :01:28. | |
Weston-Super-Mare. Surely the Secretary of State will not fiddle | :01:29. | :01:35. | |
with regulations at that level? What this country needs with this homes | :01:36. | :01:41. | |
crisis, the deepest in 100 xears, bold innovation in house-buhlding | :01:42. | :01:49. | |
and we want it now. Mr Speaker, I think fiddle fuddle is an | :01:50. | :01:53. | |
inappropriate description of what happened in 30 years of Labour | :01:54. | :01:58. | |
government, where house-building fell to its lowest level since the | :01:59. | :02:04. | |
1920s. I wrote to the Housing Minister to say that are objectively | :02:05. | :02:11. | |
assessed housing requirement did not take account of the topographical | :02:12. | :02:15. | |
and flooding issues in the Rossendale Valley. Will he say he | :02:16. | :02:21. | |
will meet with me and the ldader of my local council authorities to | :02:22. | :02:25. | |
discuss the specific issues? My honourable friend makes a p`ssionate | :02:26. | :02:30. | |
case and file it wouldn't bd appropriate for me to comment on the | :02:31. | :02:35. | |
details, so I can ensure thd Housing Minister will meet with thel. I | :02:36. | :02:41. | |
declare my interest as a melber of Kettering Borough Council. Ly | :02:42. | :02:44. | |
constituents would support the idea of building up and not out but in | :02:45. | :02:49. | |
middle England towns like at the rink where public transport options | :02:50. | :02:54. | |
are limited, the more residdnts you squeeze into any street, thd greater | :02:55. | :02:59. | |
the pressure on car parking, and does he understand there is a | :03:00. | :03:04. | |
difference between inner-city developments and developments of | :03:05. | :03:09. | |
this sort in middle England towns? He is right, he highlights the need | :03:10. | :03:14. | |
for correct an adequate infrastructure in our towns and | :03:15. | :03:17. | |
villages across the country if we are going to build the homes we | :03:18. | :03:22. | |
need. Our proposals later this year will take account of that. Puestion | :03:23. | :03:32. | |
number two. Mr Speaker, one person sleeping on the streets is one too | :03:33. | :03:37. | |
many. All too often support and intervention only comes at crisis | :03:38. | :03:41. | |
point, which is why we have launched our ?40 million homelessness up | :03:42. | :03:47. | |
approach, to end homelessness and get people back on our feet. Saint | :03:48. | :03:53. | |
Mungo 's report last week that four out of ten people sleeping rough in | :03:54. | :03:59. | |
England have a mental health condition, including schizophrenia, | :04:00. | :04:04. | |
bipolar disorder and PTSD. Poor mental health makes it harddr poor | :04:05. | :04:09. | |
sleepers to get off the strdets and access NHS services. Saint Lungo 's | :04:10. | :04:14. | |
reports that a small number of mental health services are facing | :04:15. | :04:19. | |
cuts were disappearing. How is the Secretary of State addressing this | :04:20. | :04:23. | |
mental health crisis among people sleeping on our streets? It's an | :04:24. | :04:31. | |
important issue, so first she will know, she points out homelessness is | :04:32. | :04:37. | |
not just an issue of having homes, and dealing with other causds of | :04:38. | :04:42. | |
that. There is a cross-partx working group on this and the Government is | :04:43. | :04:46. | |
working across all departments to deal with these complex isstes and I | :04:47. | :04:49. | |
am sure we will make further progress. I'm not sure how luch | :04:50. | :04:56. | |
evidence that is for this, disproportional parts of Ross | :04:57. | :04:59. | |
sleepers coming from the arled services. Could the Secretary of | :05:00. | :05:04. | |
State tell us if that is trte and what more can be done to ensure | :05:05. | :05:09. | |
people who leave the Armed Forces are given proper accommodathon? | :05:10. | :05:15. | |
First, I think he is right to raise this, it is a disproportion`te | :05:16. | :05:21. | |
number. That is unacceptabld. Almost all local authorities have signed up | :05:22. | :05:26. | |
to the Armed Forces covenant but we have to do more, and the Government | :05:27. | :05:32. | |
has committed ?500 million to tackle homelessness over the next four | :05:33. | :05:40. | |
years. Two weeks ago I joindd the excellent winter comfort in | :05:41. | :05:43. | |
Cambridge to provide servicds for us sleepers, and they are in no doubt | :05:44. | :05:49. | |
that numbers are rising, so IS Coke and reducing support for hotsing in | :05:50. | :05:54. | |
any way deal with this issud? He should know we are not reducing | :05:55. | :05:59. | |
support for support and housing C so this is an issue we will takes | :06:00. | :06:08. | |
seriously and continued to tackle. Clearly having any person sleeping | :06:09. | :06:13. | |
rough in this country is a disgrace. Can my honourable friend take urgent | :06:14. | :06:17. | |
action to within the five pdople sleeping rough, ensure they get the | :06:18. | :06:21. | |
help they need so they have a home of their own and can get back to a | :06:22. | :06:26. | |
normal way of life? My honotrable friend, he will know that l`st | :06:27. | :06:34. | |
December the Government comlitted to looking at options like leghslation | :06:35. | :06:38. | |
to deal with homelessness. H am pleased to announce today that the | :06:39. | :06:42. | |
Government will be supporting my honourable friend's ill, whhch is | :06:43. | :06:51. | |
also supported by Crisis and shelter, and I would like to support | :06:52. | :06:55. | |
that like to thank them for all the work he has done on this bill. It is | :06:56. | :07:02. | |
good to see the Secretary of State and his new team in place and it | :07:03. | :07:06. | |
even better to see our new strong Labour team in place. We will hold | :07:07. | :07:11. | |
them to account to the publhc for their failings. With Labour in | :07:12. | :07:17. | |
government, the number of pdople sleeping rough on our streets fell | :07:18. | :07:21. | |
by three quarters. Since 2000 the number has doubled. Why does the | :07:22. | :07:26. | |
Secretary of State think thhs has happened? The honourable gentleman | :07:27. | :07:34. | |
has raised the issue of Labour in government, let me remind Thm what | :07:35. | :07:41. | |
happened when he was a Houshng Minister, Labour cut the nulber of | :07:42. | :07:47. | |
houses available for a soci`l rent by 421,000 and there has bedn more | :07:48. | :07:52. | |
council housing built helping people find homes since we have bedn in | :07:53. | :07:57. | |
office then the 30 years of Labour government. If Labour spent as much | :07:58. | :08:01. | |
effort on building homes is on building its front bench we would | :08:02. | :08:06. | |
have more results. You cannot help the homeless if you don't btild | :08:07. | :08:11. | |
homes and his government has now cut off funding for building new | :08:12. | :08:16. | |
genuinely affordable social housing. When I stood where he stood in 009, | :08:17. | :08:23. | |
Labour started 40,000 new social rented homes that year, last year it | :08:24. | :08:31. | |
was 1000. I welcome his backing for the honourable member for H`rrow | :08:32. | :08:37. | |
-based's ill, but will he t`ke the opportunity on Friday to also deal | :08:38. | :08:41. | |
with the causes of rising homelessness, build more affordable | :08:42. | :08:47. | |
housing, act on private renting and reversed the cuts to housing benefit | :08:48. | :08:54. | |
for the most vulnerable people. Again, he raises his record when he | :08:55. | :08:58. | |
was in office and the House should be reminded that under Labotr | :08:59. | :09:03. | |
house-building fell to its lowest level since the 1920s. Labotr will | :09:04. | :09:10. | |
never get away from that, and soon we will introduce a White P`per on | :09:11. | :09:14. | |
housing and let's see them hf he can support it. Number three, please. | :09:15. | :09:23. | |
The Government is fully comlitted to neighbourhood planning which enables | :09:24. | :09:26. | |
community is to shape development and growth in their local area. The | :09:27. | :09:32. | |
bill will future proof the process and make sure communities h`ve the | :09:33. | :09:38. | |
support they need. I think we all welcome local communities bding | :09:39. | :09:42. | |
involved in their local plans, but would he agreed one of the big | :09:43. | :09:47. | |
challenges is making sure ddvelopers whose land they have planning | :09:48. | :09:51. | |
permission for and as we have heard with an emphasis on Brownfidld | :09:52. | :09:57. | |
sites? He makes a good point, where sites have planning permisshon they | :09:58. | :10:01. | |
should move ahead as quicklx as possible. People in desperate need | :10:02. | :10:07. | |
of housing expert to see developers working with local authorithes and | :10:08. | :10:14. | |
we are trying to work where we can, the ?3 billion home-builders fund | :10:15. | :10:19. | |
announced last month will hdlp. There will be no real localhsm | :10:20. | :10:23. | |
quelled developers can appe`l and communities cannot. Will thd | :10:24. | :10:28. | |
Secretary of State commit to looking at cases where a neighbourhood plan | :10:29. | :10:36. | |
is in place to allow a commtnity right of appeal when a developer | :10:37. | :10:38. | |
comes forward with speculathve development against that pl`n? If | :10:39. | :10:44. | |
there was a comedy right to appeal, that would further slowdown in the | :10:45. | :10:48. | |
planning process and that is not in any one's interest. We need more | :10:49. | :10:53. | |
homes built quickly and the measures we are taking for the neighbourhood | :10:54. | :11:01. | |
planning Bill will help. In a sleep we face countless hostile planning | :11:02. | :11:05. | |
applications, some destroying ancient wetland and beautiftl green | :11:06. | :11:10. | |
spaces. Does he agree the borough council's failure to deliver a local | :11:11. | :11:16. | |
plants and associated poliches for a neighbourhood plans stop cotncils | :11:17. | :11:20. | |
bring forth their neighbourhood plans and letting down my | :11:21. | :11:21. | |
constituency? Mr Speaker, my honourable friend has | :11:22. | :11:30. | |
been a consistent champion hn this House, with the need for Eastleigh | :11:31. | :11:35. | |
to have a properly supported local plan. Eastleigh Borough Council | :11:36. | :11:39. | |
needs to get its act togethdr. Her constituents deserve to havd their | :11:40. | :11:43. | |
voices heard and our plan whll strengthen that right. | :11:44. | :11:49. | |
In a recent appeal by the ddveloper, the planning Inspectorate b`sically | :11:50. | :11:53. | |
totally overlooked the neighbourhood plan in my constituency. From | :11:54. | :11:57. | |
memory, made OnePass in refdrence to that plan in a 17 page decision Can | :11:58. | :12:08. | |
he have a look at how seriotsly the planning Inspectorate take local | :12:09. | :12:13. | |
neighbourhood plans? Mr Spe`ker it would be wrong of me to comlent on | :12:14. | :12:17. | |
the detail of a particular planning application but I hope the | :12:18. | :12:21. | |
honourable gentleman will agree that the neighbourhood planning bill that | :12:22. | :12:23. | |
is before Parliament now will strengthen these neighbourhood | :12:24. | :12:26. | |
plans, and bring them into legal force in a far quicker way `nd will | :12:27. | :12:31. | |
make it much easier to modify them and give more support, incltding | :12:32. | :12:35. | |
financially, for communities to put them together. ? Number four. | :12:36. | :12:44. | |
We all want to see our high streets survived, that is why we have | :12:45. | :12:48. | |
introduced the biggest cut hn business rates. We have introduced | :12:49. | :12:52. | |
the High Street pledge, introduced digital pilots and we are | :12:53. | :12:56. | |
celebrating our high streets through the great British high stredt award, | :12:57. | :12:59. | |
the finalists were announced last week. Thornbury high Street attracts | :13:00. | :13:06. | |
people from around the country for its farmers market. Does my | :13:07. | :13:11. | |
honourable friend recognise the contribution of tourism to high | :13:12. | :13:15. | |
streets and how is he is High Street as local and regional tourism | :13:16. | :13:23. | |
destinations? I know how important they are. We have seen an increase | :13:24. | :13:29. | |
in footfall in August of 1.0%. We are working closely across | :13:30. | :13:32. | |
government with our colleagtes on funds such as the Discover Dngland | :13:33. | :13:36. | |
fund and the coastal communhties fund which is funding a significant | :13:37. | :13:40. | |
number of projects which is all about increasing tourism and jobs in | :13:41. | :13:47. | |
the tourism sector. He menthoned business rates. Many retaildrs face, | :13:48. | :13:53. | |
as a result of the business rate revaluation, significant increases | :13:54. | :13:56. | |
in business rates up and down the country. That will not help High | :13:57. | :14:01. | |
Street and retailers and is it that the reality of what he has | :14:02. | :14:07. | |
announced? The business ratd cut is helping 600,000 businesses not pay | :14:08. | :14:13. | |
any business rate at all, it is fiscally neutral and three puarters | :14:14. | :14:16. | |
of businesses will see a cut. I thought that something he would | :14:17. | :14:20. | |
welcome. Next week I will be announchng my | :14:21. | :14:24. | |
annual Best shop and market stall competition. In a new category, Mr | :14:25. | :14:30. | |
Speaker, Best cafe this year. Will my honourable friend join md in | :14:31. | :14:33. | |
wishing all the entrants thd best of luck and will he agree with me that | :14:34. | :14:39. | |
independent outlets are key to creating a unique thriving town | :14:40. | :14:46. | |
centres? Mr Speaker, I congratulate the honourable lady on this | :14:47. | :14:50. | |
excellent competition and I look forward to hearing the results of | :14:51. | :14:55. | |
it. Independent retailers are essential to the success of many of | :14:56. | :14:58. | |
our high streets and I pay tribute to the work they do and thex will | :14:59. | :15:05. | |
benefit from the small business rate cut. Mr Speaker, we have sole | :15:06. | :15:09. | |
beautiful high streets in Corby and our pubs are an integral part of | :15:10. | :15:14. | |
them so what steps on the lhst is taken to promote our pub tr`de and | :15:15. | :15:19. | |
ensure these vital communitx hubs are protected? Again, Mr Spdaker, | :15:20. | :15:23. | |
the business rate cut is of significant value to many of our | :15:24. | :15:28. | |
pubs and it is a fact that tourists coming to the UK, huge numbdr of | :15:29. | :15:33. | |
them listed as one of their desires on a visit, visit to a great British | :15:34. | :15:37. | |
pub and that is why we made the changes we did to beer duty. | :15:38. | :15:46. | |
Question number five and Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, as well as some | :15:47. | :15:50. | |
challenges, leaving the EU presents some fresh opportunities for the | :15:51. | :15:53. | |
whole country. Working with government colleagues, I determined | :15:54. | :15:56. | |
that local government takes advantage of those opportunhties. | :15:57. | :16:02. | |
The convention of local Scottish authorities have stated that 1- p of | :16:03. | :16:08. | |
funds Scotland will receive has been allocated to local authorithes. | :16:09. | :16:12. | |
20,000 businesses will benefit from these funds. Can the Secret`ry of | :16:13. | :16:16. | |
State guarantee there will be no financial detriment to Scotland if | :16:17. | :16:23. | |
it is dragged out of the EU through hard Brexit? Mr Speaker, thd | :16:24. | :16:26. | |
honourable gentleman will know that firstly the Chancellor has | :16:27. | :16:29. | |
guaranteed that any application for funds up until the Autumn Statement | :16:30. | :16:34. | |
will be fully honoured. Beyond that, the funds applications will be | :16:35. | :16:38. | |
honoured as long as they medt the UK national interest. Leaving the EU | :16:39. | :16:42. | |
also gives us an opportunitx to design a new fit for purposd | :16:43. | :16:45. | |
investment model that will benefit all our communities in exactly the | :16:46. | :16:51. | |
way we want to in the UK. Mr Speaker, my right honourabld friend | :16:52. | :16:56. | |
-- does my right honourable friend share the view of his predecessor | :16:57. | :17:00. | |
that local government should have a say in the withdrawal negothations? | :17:01. | :17:05. | |
Yes, I do. I agree with my honourable friend. I think the | :17:06. | :17:09. | |
impact across the country of leaving the EU will be felt by local | :17:10. | :17:13. | |
authorities in some ways. Wd have just had a good example of that and | :17:14. | :17:18. | |
I sure I have a very strong dialogue with the relevant ministers to make | :17:19. | :17:20. | |
sure that local government's voice is heard. It is said the Government | :17:21. | :17:29. | |
will guarantee that the funding will be guaranteed -- the Governlent will | :17:30. | :17:38. | |
guarantee the funding. In tdrms of support for farmers under the COPD, | :17:39. | :17:46. | |
they will guarantee every pdnny or why will he not give the sale | :17:47. | :17:49. | |
guarantee to local communithes who will really suffer? We will make | :17:50. | :17:57. | |
sure that no community suffdrs. That is why we have this transithon | :17:58. | :18:00. | |
process. The guarantees we have given to local communities `re very | :18:01. | :18:06. | |
important, but again, Mr Spdaker, once we leave the EU, we will be | :18:07. | :18:09. | |
able to design a system that fits the needs of the UK and no one else. | :18:10. | :18:15. | |
My right honourable friend hs dead right to say there will be | :18:16. | :18:19. | |
opportunities. Is it not thd case that whereas at the moment local | :18:20. | :18:25. | |
councils, for example, and regions are forbidden to fund regional | :18:26. | :18:28. | |
airports and other forms of infrastructure and EU law, that will | :18:29. | :18:31. | |
no longer be the case, and the United Kingdom will be able to | :18:32. | :18:36. | |
choose what is best for our citizens? My honourable fridnd, as | :18:37. | :18:44. | |
always, make a very important point. Once we leave the EU, no te`m you | :18:45. | :18:47. | |
rules or regulations will apply and we will be able to come up with | :18:48. | :18:53. | |
those which best suit the nded of communities -- no EU rules will | :18:54. | :18:55. | |
apply. It is a very interesting pohnt. Does | :18:56. | :18:59. | |
the Minister not accept that even if we are not members of the ET, states | :19:00. | :19:05. | |
may still apply under trade organisation rules so local | :19:06. | :19:09. | |
authorities. Have to abide by a number of these rules. The lember | :19:10. | :19:15. | |
over there was the honourable gentleman, the member for Lhchfield. | :19:16. | :19:23. | |
I think the honourable lady Minchin WTO rules of I heard her correctly | :19:24. | :19:26. | |
and it may or may not be thd case, she will understand they ard not the | :19:27. | :19:33. | |
same thing as EU rules. I thank the Minister for that answer and I will | :19:34. | :19:36. | |
certainly be tabling more qtestions to find out more detail on that The | :19:37. | :19:41. | |
Minister may be aware that Glasgow City Council has produced a document | :19:42. | :19:46. | |
with a series of requests of the central government and UK Government | :19:47. | :19:50. | |
to help prevent the detriment that is likely to happen in the dvent of | :19:51. | :19:55. | |
a hard Brexit and I hope th`t local authorities around the UK whll do | :19:56. | :19:59. | |
similar. How do we ensure that the range of voices is listened to and | :20:00. | :20:04. | |
acted on by this government? Mr Speaker, what I will do is lake sure | :20:05. | :20:09. | |
the voices of English local government are heard and whdn it | :20:10. | :20:13. | |
comes to Scottish local govdrnment, I'm sure I will be working with the | :20:14. | :20:17. | |
Scottish Government, and as we have seen today, the Scottish Government | :20:18. | :20:24. | |
is engaged in the process. Can I refer you to my declarations of | :20:25. | :20:36. | |
interest in local council. The Minister committed to having a | :20:37. | :20:39. | |
conversation with the Secretary of State for exiting the EU. It would | :20:40. | :20:43. | |
be great today to get an update on those conversations and find out | :20:44. | :20:46. | |
what role local government will have. First, the honourable | :20:47. | :20:52. | |
gentleman will know that thhs is an ongoing process. It will take a | :20:53. | :20:56. | |
number of months, if not ye`rs, and so there will be plenty of | :20:57. | :20:59. | |
opportunity for dialogue, including within government. I have h`d | :21:00. | :21:07. | |
discussions with my right honourable friend, the secretary for exit in | :21:08. | :21:10. | |
the EU and we have discussed various issues which will affect local | :21:11. | :21:14. | |
government but I will not ghve a running commentary on them. Thank | :21:15. | :21:19. | |
you, Mr Speaker. I don't thhnk I was expecting a running comment`ry but | :21:20. | :21:23. | |
any commentary would be progress based on silence. Local govdrnment | :21:24. | :21:26. | |
wants to know what role thex will play and at the moment it is fuzzy, | :21:27. | :21:31. | |
to say the least. The Secretary of State will know the importance of EU | :21:32. | :21:36. | |
funds. They are vital to many of our local communities. In fact, the | :21:37. | :21:40. | |
ability to administer that fund is a key component of the ten devolution | :21:41. | :21:44. | |
deals which have been set so far. Does he agree with me that the | :21:45. | :21:47. | |
uncertainty on the future of these funds is stopping the vital | :21:48. | :21:51. | |
long-term planning that is needed. It risks damaging those devolution | :21:52. | :21:54. | |
deals which have only just been agreed and the poorest in the | :21:55. | :22:00. | |
community will suffer as a result? Mr Speaker, the Chancellor has | :22:01. | :22:05. | |
provided significant certainty on structural funds, especiallx those | :22:06. | :22:09. | |
applications which are made before the Autumn Statement, and rdcently | :22:10. | :22:12. | |
at the Conservative Party conference he provided further certainty on | :22:13. | :22:18. | |
that and that is what busindss is looking for. Number six, sir. | :22:19. | :22:25. | |
Minister Gavin Barwell. Mr Speaker, as of October 2015, 2300 holes in | :22:26. | :22:32. | |
England have been standing dmpty since records -- standing elpty the | :22:33. | :22:41. | |
lowest number since records began. Protecting green spaces, as well as | :22:42. | :22:44. | |
providing new homes are both very important. But what further steps | :22:45. | :22:48. | |
can the Government take to dnsure that empty homes are re-utilised, | :22:49. | :22:53. | |
notwithstanding the fact th`t this government has reduced that number | :22:54. | :22:59. | |
to an extremely low number `lready? Local authorities have strong | :23:00. | :23:02. | |
incentives. They are the sale financial reward for bringing an | :23:03. | :23:07. | |
ugly head back into use and they also have strong enforcement powers. | :23:08. | :23:11. | |
They can charge 150% council tax for homes which have been empty for more | :23:12. | :23:15. | |
than two years and they also have empty dwelling Sloanes. In our town | :23:16. | :23:25. | |
centres there are thousands of rooms on upper floors which could easily | :23:26. | :23:29. | |
be converted to homes but they do not appear in the excellent | :23:30. | :23:32. | |
statistics the Government rdfers to. Could I ask the Minister to bring | :23:33. | :23:37. | |
together the key stakeholders and agencies, to look at what the real | :23:38. | :23:41. | |
barriers are, as to why we have failed governments of all htes, to | :23:42. | :23:48. | |
achieve this conversion? I would thank my honourable friend, a former | :23:49. | :23:51. | |
Housing Minister for his qudstion. I am happy to do what he suggdsts and | :23:52. | :23:57. | |
perhaps talk off-line about this. Question number seven, Mr Speaker. | :23:58. | :24:05. | |
Order. I think the Minister meant outside the Chamber. I think that is | :24:06. | :24:10. | |
what he had in mind. The Government is continuing to reform the planning | :24:11. | :24:16. | |
system. We are clear on councils who do not have an up-to-date plan and | :24:17. | :24:21. | |
we have legislated to assurd that there are starter homes for | :24:22. | :24:24. | |
first-time buyers as well as affordable for people to rent. I | :24:25. | :24:28. | |
thank the Minister for that answer and I would like to refer to the | :24:29. | :24:33. | |
recently published Greater Manchester special framework, which | :24:34. | :24:36. | |
states the ambition to signhficantly increase the supply of houshng which | :24:37. | :24:40. | |
people can afford, including through the planning system. How dods the | :24:41. | :24:43. | |
Minister think that Greater Manchester will be able to `chieve | :24:44. | :24:47. | |
this, given that housing at planning act lets developers off the hook by | :24:48. | :24:51. | |
effectively ending their obligation to provide affordable homes to rent | :24:52. | :24:56. | |
and buy? The housing and pl`nning act does no such thing at all. What | :24:57. | :25:01. | |
it does and the honourable lady s question is clear that she was | :25:02. | :25:03. | |
interested in more affordable homes to rent or buy, so it makes a | :25:04. | :25:08. | |
requirement on developers to provide affordable starter homes but though | :25:09. | :25:13. | |
absolutely the determination to have affordable homes to rent. I'm | :25:14. | :25:16. | |
looking forward to visiting Greater Manchester shortly to discuss these | :25:17. | :25:21. | |
matters. Places such as Chapel Hill my constituency will have 40% of | :25:22. | :25:26. | |
affordable homes, doesn't this show the planning regulations already | :25:27. | :25:29. | |
provide the powers for local authorities to use and they should | :25:30. | :25:33. | |
be using them in the same w`y as Conservative led Basingstokd Borough | :25:34. | :25:38. | |
Council is? I had the privilege to meet the chief executive of the | :25:39. | :25:42. | |
honourable lady's council the other day. I commend the work thex are | :25:43. | :25:45. | |
doing an example shows clearly our aim should be to deliver affordable | :25:46. | :25:49. | |
homes for people to buy and affordable homes for people to rent. | :25:50. | :25:54. | |
In Cumbria we suffer from brain drain in that graduates do not want | :25:55. | :25:59. | |
to return to us after university. Proper planning for affordable | :26:00. | :26:02. | |
housing could be the answer and as well as attracting young talent it | :26:03. | :26:06. | |
could take some pressure of the London housing crisis. Will the | :26:07. | :26:09. | |
Minister ensure we do not h`ve a one size fits all policy when it comes | :26:10. | :26:12. | |
to planning for affordable housing? Too often in this debate it is trait | :26:13. | :26:22. | |
that the housing problems wd face are just in London and the | :26:23. | :26:27. | |
south-east and my team are clear we need a housing policy to deliver | :26:28. | :26:34. | |
more homes across the country and recognising different circulstances. | :26:35. | :26:37. | |
In Bath all our brownfield sites will be developed by 2030 whth the | :26:38. | :26:43. | |
only nearby sites in this shte that Bristol, land left and built by the | :26:44. | :26:50. | |
Labour council for decades. Does he agree that changes in the l`st | :26:51. | :26:54. | |
planning act and the infrastructure bill will make a difference to | :26:55. | :26:57. | |
developing brownfield sites across the whole south-west of England | :26:58. | :27:05. | |
Brownfield registers can make a big contribution to ensuring as much | :27:06. | :27:09. | |
development as possible goes to brownfield sites and his ex`mple | :27:10. | :27:14. | |
shows the benefit of working across councils as they are doing hn | :27:15. | :27:18. | |
Greater Manchester to plan for needs. Number eight, Mr Spe`ker | :27:19. | :27:26. | |
There are huge opportunities and Teesside, we are clear of that, the | :27:27. | :27:31. | |
Secretary of State met with Tees Valley leaders last week and we are | :27:32. | :27:35. | |
committed to someone think the devolution deal. We have tr`nsferred | :27:36. | :27:40. | |
the first ?50 million of th`t and we will provide the Tees Vallex with | :27:41. | :27:45. | |
?37 million this year from the growth fund. The response organises | :27:46. | :27:55. | |
the potential on Teesside, CCF recommended but rolled out, | :27:56. | :28:01. | |
prioritisation for the National teaching service under revidw and | :28:02. | :28:06. | |
transfer of the former SSI site to the new MDC is still in limbo with | :28:07. | :28:12. | |
previous funding taken away. Can the minister give any of the report s | :28:13. | :28:17. | |
recommendations the go-ahead in the immediate future? We alreadx | :28:18. | :28:23. | |
implementing some of those recommendations, many of thdm down | :28:24. | :28:28. | |
to local implementation. Last week we allowed site inspections to be | :28:29. | :28:34. | |
undertaken and after those we will expect the MDC to come forw`rd with | :28:35. | :28:39. | |
proposals on resources. In terms of the National teaching service, that | :28:40. | :28:45. | |
pilot scheme has been startdd, it has been rolled out and we will | :28:46. | :28:49. | |
confirm plans to roll it out further later in the year. I want to work | :28:50. | :28:55. | |
with the old gentleman and other stakeholders because there hs huge | :28:56. | :29:00. | |
potential in the side. Numbdr nine, Mr Speaker. I led the inaugtral | :29:01. | :29:07. | |
Midlands engine trade mission to North America in September `nd a | :29:08. | :29:14. | |
second mission to China this month, and establishing a Merrill `uthority | :29:15. | :29:17. | |
in the West Midlands will hdlp provide more opportunities. | :29:18. | :29:21. | |
The Black Country economy in the West Midlands has had a substantial | :29:22. | :29:29. | |
revival ended last few years, in the last year a 40% increase in foreign | :29:30. | :29:34. | |
investment. Does he agree wd need to do all we can to take advantage of | :29:35. | :29:40. | |
the devolution settlement in the context of the Midlands enghne to | :29:41. | :29:44. | |
drive trade and investment hnto the Midlands from around the world? The | :29:45. | :29:50. | |
back and free and the wider West Midlands has seen a strong | :29:51. | :29:54. | |
performance of inward investment and exports. Our Midlands devolttion | :29:55. | :29:59. | |
deal includes a ?1 billion to drive growth. We also need to see strong | :30:00. | :30:05. | |
local leadership and there hs no doubt in my mind that and a street | :30:06. | :30:09. | |
will bring that to the West Midlands. We need sedentary approval | :30:10. | :30:16. | |
for the proposition, Doctor Tristram Hunt. There are many great that this | :30:17. | :30:22. | |
is in Stoke-on-Trent which want to grow through trade and investment | :30:23. | :30:28. | |
but we're a little engagement from John Pearce and the Midlands engine. | :30:29. | :30:33. | |
We're a lot part of the combined authorities of the West Midlands, so | :30:34. | :30:38. | |
could the ministers say when John peace will be visiting | :30:39. | :30:40. | |
Stoke-on-Trent and what plans they have for Staffordshire? Negri there | :30:41. | :30:47. | |
are many excellent businessds in his part of the world and John peace is | :30:48. | :30:54. | |
a fantastic choice to chair the Midlands engine. He makes the point | :30:55. | :30:59. | |
that it is not the same thing as the West Midlands devolution de`l, so | :31:00. | :31:02. | |
I'm sure John Pearce will m`ke a good interest in his constituency. | :31:03. | :31:07. | |
Another key part of the Midlands engine will be the Lincolnshire | :31:08. | :31:13. | |
devolution deal. World the Secretary of State encouraged the eight out of | :31:14. | :31:17. | |
ten councils who voted for this to work with the Government to make | :31:18. | :31:21. | |
sure we get the best deal for Lincolnshire and it does not turn | :31:22. | :31:26. | |
its back on half ?1 million of government money? He highlights the | :31:27. | :31:32. | |
importance of these devoluthon deals, including greater | :31:33. | :31:36. | |
Lincolnshire in bringing about more growth and greater productivity in | :31:37. | :31:41. | |
all regions. As he said it councils have accepted the deal, I hope the | :31:42. | :31:47. | |
others will and it will makd a great difference to jobs and growth. This | :31:48. | :31:53. | |
I thought the honourable gentleman for Lee would require a gre`t deal | :31:54. | :31:56. | |
of dexterity to relate the puestion to Greater Manchester, the team Ian | :31:57. | :32:02. | |
Bell saved by the minister referring to all regions. All that talk these | :32:03. | :32:08. | |
days is of the Midlands enghne and suddenly the northern powerhouse is | :32:09. | :32:14. | |
about as popular as its originator. While I am not against investment in | :32:15. | :32:21. | |
the Midlands, can the Secretary of State guarantee that commitlents to | :32:22. | :32:26. | |
invest in the North will not be dilate -- delayed or die looted by | :32:27. | :32:33. | |
new commitments to the Midl`nds I know he has significant ambhtions | :32:34. | :32:38. | |
that he must not talk down the north at every opportunity. He will know | :32:39. | :32:44. | |
this Government is committed to the northern powerhouse and that | :32:45. | :32:48. | |
includes all our commitments around investment and growth. Numbdr 1 . My | :32:49. | :32:55. | |
honourable friend recently `nd it's the home building fund to ensure | :32:56. | :32:59. | |
we're not so reliant on the few large builders and an acceldrated | :33:00. | :33:03. | |
building programme to speed up holding on public land. We will set | :33:04. | :33:09. | |
out further plans in the Whhte Paper later this year. Harrow Borough | :33:10. | :33:16. | |
Council are working with thd local community to ensure local housing | :33:17. | :33:20. | |
needs are met strategically. Can he threw me in congratulating them on | :33:21. | :33:24. | |
that work on ensuring ownership for everyone? It was a pleasure to visit | :33:25. | :33:33. | |
his constituency and meet the councillor leading this work, and | :33:34. | :33:37. | |
also to meet great housing associations who are doing great | :33:38. | :33:43. | |
work in this field. A proportion of these homes have to be affordable. | :33:44. | :33:48. | |
Westminster Council approved a scheme of 300 luxury flat in | :33:49. | :33:53. | |
Westminster, 30% of which would have given us a value of ?100 million, | :33:54. | :34:00. | |
but the council agreed just 2% and the contribution of ?6 millhon. Will | :34:01. | :34:05. | |
he ensure councils do not invade their commitments to providd a | :34:06. | :34:09. | |
reasonable proportion of affordable housing? We need more homes of every | :34:10. | :34:15. | |
kind in this country, more homes for people to buy in the market, more | :34:16. | :34:22. | |
share ownership and I hope she will welcome the starter homes policy to | :34:23. | :34:29. | |
provide homes for first-timd buyers. In Swindon and we have cross-party | :34:30. | :34:34. | |
support for a local plans and by working with developers in `dvance | :34:35. | :34:38. | |
of planning submission we are at developing temple development. Will | :34:39. | :34:44. | |
he agree to visit to see how we can deliver new homes? It is good to | :34:45. | :34:50. | |
hear of councils getting on with developing local plans which meet | :34:51. | :34:55. | |
housing needs and I hope all councils in England follow that | :34:56. | :35:01. | |
example. Can the minister ghve reasons why home ownership for | :35:02. | :35:05. | |
people under 35 have fallen by a million since 2010 and what he will | :35:06. | :35:10. | |
do to reverse that trend, so people of my age can afford their first | :35:11. | :35:15. | |
home? It's an interesting thme skilled because the fall in foam was | :35:16. | :35:21. | |
in under 35-year-old started in 2004. The last neighbourhood that | :35:22. | :35:28. | |
like Labour leadership did nothing about it, and that decline was | :35:29. | :35:34. | |
halted, our job is not to rdverse the decline so young people can | :35:35. | :35:43. | |
build their dreams. In her conference speech, the Primd | :35:44. | :35:46. | |
Minister acknowledged the Conservatives' records on | :35:47. | :35:51. | |
house-building was not good enough. My question is, given the hhstoric | :35:52. | :35:56. | |
failure of six years under her predecessor, the worst of any Prime | :35:57. | :36:03. | |
Minister since 1923, how can be be convinced this Government whll do | :36:04. | :36:06. | |
anything differently to stop six years of failure on house-btilding | :36:07. | :36:13. | |
be coming ten? The previous Prime Minister inherited from the last | :36:14. | :36:16. | |
government the lowest level of house-building since the 1920s, and | :36:17. | :36:22. | |
has significantly increased the amount of homes being built. Our | :36:23. | :36:29. | |
planning sister granted a rdcord number of planning applicathons this | :36:30. | :36:32. | |
year, but if the honourable lady is saying we need to do better, she | :36:33. | :36:39. | |
will find us in complete agreement. Number 11. The National plulbing | :36:40. | :36:50. | |
framework is clear. Local planning decision should limit the ilpact of | :36:51. | :36:54. | |
light pollution, including one intrinsically dark landscapds. Our | :36:55. | :37:00. | |
planning guidance sets out how light pollution should be considered. I'm | :37:01. | :37:05. | |
grateful to the minister for his answer. Light pollution isn't just a | :37:06. | :37:10. | |
problem for people wanting to look at the stars but also birds, who get | :37:11. | :37:15. | |
confused about when vision begins at dawn chorus. They sing for so long | :37:16. | :37:20. | |
that they don't have any endrgy left to make. I'm sure the minister will | :37:21. | :37:33. | |
understand why this is a problem... But Brexit gives the... Yeah, | :37:34. | :37:43. | |
Brexit! Brexit! Keep going, you are nearly there. Cut! Order, order I | :37:44. | :37:53. | |
wish to hear the honourable lady at such point that she has had the | :37:54. | :37:57. | |
opportunity to read gain necessary composure. Brexit gives the | :37:58. | :38:06. | |
opportunity for us to control public procurement, so when the minister is | :38:07. | :38:11. | |
talking to local authorities about what kind of LED lighting to buy, | :38:12. | :38:17. | |
where he encouraged them to buy lights from thorns in Spennxmoor? Mr | :38:18. | :38:33. | |
Speaker, always important that you do reserve enough energy, pdrhaps | :38:34. | :38:40. | |
LED lights are one way of sdcuring or not using as much energy as our | :38:41. | :38:49. | |
current streetlights usuallx do I hear what the honourable lady says | :38:50. | :38:53. | |
and I think local authoritids should always look where it is practical to | :38:54. | :38:58. | |
put your goods and services from UK firms. -- procure goods. Thd | :38:59. | :39:06. | |
minister encouraging EV and procreation is not unknown hn | :39:07. | :39:11. | |
Ealing, but can he returned to the borough where he will see the stars | :39:12. | :39:17. | |
glittering like diamonds on black velvet features a very hard,working | :39:18. | :39:22. | |
and intelligent local counchl has changed the entire street lhghting | :39:23. | :39:26. | |
programme to the lighting is and the work luminescence. Will he return | :39:27. | :39:31. | |
with me to be linked and gaze up at the stars which are now vishble I | :39:32. | :39:38. | |
usually expect that most Labour local authorities believe pdople in | :39:39. | :39:44. | |
the dark but I hear what he says. I had a fantastic visit to his | :39:45. | :39:48. | |
constituency and I would be delighted to return. Number 12. We | :39:49. | :39:56. | |
have not set out formal plans to review holding regulations but we | :39:57. | :40:01. | |
have committed to review part B after the late and whole hotse fire | :40:02. | :40:05. | |
and have committed during the passing of the Housing and Planning | :40:06. | :40:13. | |
Act to review efficiency. I am grateful for that, I don't know if | :40:14. | :40:17. | |
the minister has considered my protection of family homes built but | :40:18. | :40:24. | |
he must agree there needs to be help for homeowners whose homes `nd | :40:25. | :40:27. | |
neighbourhoods are blighted white road builders and developers, | :40:28. | :40:30. | |
floating the regulations and planning laws because they know | :40:31. | :40:36. | |
current enforcement action hs costly and complicated. I have had a chance | :40:37. | :40:42. | |
to reviewed his Private Members Bill, although that governmdnt does | :40:43. | :40:48. | |
not agree legislation is necessary we agree there is a problem and last | :40:49. | :40:53. | |
week we announced powers to help councils deal with smaller HMOs that | :40:54. | :40:55. | |
are causing these issues. Question 13. Thank you. This | :40:56. | :41:07. | |
government is committed to protecting the vulnerable. That is | :41:08. | :41:13. | |
why we deferred the Housing rates to support housing until 2019. From | :41:14. | :41:17. | |
then on we will provide a ndw funding model to meet addithonal | :41:18. | :41:22. | |
costs above the Housing ratd. That is all very well, Mr Speaker, but | :41:23. | :41:26. | |
the chief executive has alrdady indicated that they want a secure | :41:27. | :41:30. | |
and sustainable footing in the long term and we are not confident the | :41:31. | :41:34. | |
new system will guarantee this. If the chief executive of the Housing | :41:35. | :41:37. | |
Federation is saying that, what is wrong with his point of view? I have | :41:38. | :41:44. | |
met with the chief executivd of the National Housing Federation myself, | :41:45. | :41:47. | |
and discussed this issue with him at some length. We are giving | :41:48. | :41:52. | |
confidence to this sector that funding will be devolved to local | :41:53. | :41:56. | |
authorities. That funding whll be ring-fenced, and save for the | :41:57. | :42:02. | |
changes to social rent incrdases, the quantum of funding to the sector | :42:03. | :42:05. | |
will be the same. He seemed reasonably reassured on that point. | :42:06. | :42:11. | |
Thank you very much. Followhng on from the statement made by ly right | :42:12. | :42:16. | |
honourable friend the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the | :42:17. | :42:19. | |
15th of September, it is vital that the consultation on the futtre | :42:20. | :42:24. | |
funding of supported housing gets underway as soon as possibld. Can | :42:25. | :42:29. | |
the Minister advise the House as to when the consultation will commence? | :42:30. | :42:32. | |
I thank my honourable friend. The consultation will be releasdd | :42:33. | :42:36. | |
shortly. At the same time the evidence review will also bd | :42:37. | :42:40. | |
released. But the Minister should realise that those people lhving in | :42:41. | :42:45. | |
this set of supported accomlodation are some of the most vulner`ble in | :42:46. | :42:49. | |
society, and he has left a whole series of very important ch`rities | :42:50. | :42:53. | |
and others in the third sector such as Framework in Nottingham hn limbo | :42:54. | :42:57. | |
such as the -- because of the lack of decision on this issue. He has to | :42:58. | :43:01. | |
make sure the Government puts its money where its mouth is support the | :43:02. | :43:05. | |
most vulnerable people. Thex need help and they need it. Minister As | :43:06. | :43:14. | |
I just said, save for the social rent increases, the quantum of | :43:15. | :43:17. | |
funding will be the same in this regard. We are setting out certainty | :43:18. | :43:22. | |
and certainly, we will be doing that in the consultation which whll be | :43:23. | :43:30. | |
released very shortly. Question 14, Mr Speaker. Thank you, Mr Speaker. | :43:31. | :43:35. | |
Business rates are carried out on violations carried out independently | :43:36. | :43:41. | |
by the value of this agency. Nearly three quarters of businesses will | :43:42. | :43:44. | |
see no change or a fall in their business rates next year. Whth | :43:45. | :43:50. | |
600,000 set to pay no busindss rates at all, and for the minoritx who do | :43:51. | :43:54. | |
face business rate increases, a transitional rate relief scheme will | :43:55. | :44:00. | |
ensure no business is unfairly penalised. Despite what my | :44:01. | :44:05. | |
honourable friend has said to allay fears, I wonder if I could still | :44:06. | :44:10. | |
persuade him to meet myself and local representations from the solar | :44:11. | :44:14. | |
industry and we might come tp with a few arguments which he has not heard | :44:15. | :44:18. | |
thus far to persuade him to change his mind about his rate risds? I | :44:19. | :44:23. | |
thank my honourable friend for his question. I am aware that the | :44:24. | :44:26. | |
rateable values for certain types of rooftop solar installations are | :44:27. | :44:32. | |
increasing at the revaluation, however, there are many factors | :44:33. | :44:36. | |
which determine the rateabld value of the property and install`tion of | :44:37. | :44:40. | |
solar panels are only one element. Many therefore will see the increase | :44:41. | :44:44. | |
in rateable value of solar panels that see their overall rates bill | :44:45. | :44:48. | |
reduced. That said, I hear what my honourable friend says and H am more | :44:49. | :44:52. | |
than willing to meet with hhm and local representatives of thhs | :44:53. | :45:01. | |
industry. Question 15. Mr Speaker, it is a pleasure to see my | :45:02. | :45:05. | |
honourable friend in his pl`ce. All proud of our coastal communhties. I | :45:06. | :45:11. | |
say that as a coastal community MP myself. We have invested 124 million | :45:12. | :45:16. | |
across the UK through the coastal community fund. And we want to go | :45:17. | :45:21. | |
even further which is why wd have identified at least a furthdr ? 0 | :45:22. | :45:26. | |
million for local projects. We have begun the bidding for that, 14 | :45:27. | :45:29. | |
projects have made it through to the next round, and we will be laking a | :45:30. | :45:35. | |
decision on those early next year. I welcome the response from the | :45:36. | :45:43. | |
Minister, and his kind words. The Queen Bruno Harbour trust in my | :45:44. | :45:48. | |
constituency has been successful in stage one process for obtaining a | :45:49. | :45:51. | |
grant from the coastal commtnities fund that he mentioned. What advice | :45:52. | :45:56. | |
would my honourable friend give to the Harbour trust members, `s they | :45:57. | :46:00. | |
enter stage two of the procdss to ensure they get some success? Thank | :46:01. | :46:08. | |
you, Mr Speaker. I pay tribtte to my honourable friend on the half of the | :46:09. | :46:15. | |
Harbour trust. Their captors adviser has been assigned to them bx the Big | :46:16. | :46:19. | |
lottery fund to add Minister the coastal fund on our behalf. There is | :46:20. | :46:27. | |
advice available to them on the website. Topical questions. Topical | :46:28. | :46:33. | |
question number one. The recess was far from a quiet period in ly | :46:34. | :46:38. | |
department. We announced funding for new homes, we have continued to | :46:39. | :46:41. | |
drive forward devolution de`ls and where in the process of offdring | :46:42. | :46:45. | |
councils extra certainty but there is plenty more to come, including | :46:46. | :46:50. | |
the White Paper, and if I al daring to dream, the press pack outside ten | :46:51. | :46:55. | |
might stop confusing me with Sadiq Khan! I thank the Secretary of State | :46:56. | :47:00. | |
for that answer. I'm sure hd shares my concern for the very high number | :47:01. | :47:05. | |
of excess winter deaths we experience in our country every | :47:06. | :47:09. | |
year. Can I ask him specifically to say what plans his department has | :47:10. | :47:14. | |
two coordinate activity and minimise the number of cold weather deaths we | :47:15. | :47:19. | |
will experience this winter? Mr Speaker, the honourable gentleman | :47:20. | :47:22. | |
raises a very important isste and rightly highlights the need for | :47:23. | :47:26. | |
coordinated government action. Public Health England has already | :47:27. | :47:30. | |
published a cold weather pl`n and this gives recommendation for the | :47:31. | :47:34. | |
NHS and social care for people to work together to help the most | :47:35. | :47:39. | |
vulnerable this winter. Can my honourable friend update thd House | :47:40. | :47:42. | |
for his plan to encourage innovation in the construction industrx? Mr | :47:43. | :47:49. | |
Speaker, we have huge plans in this area. The home building fund and the | :47:50. | :47:53. | |
accelerated construction project have as one of their key objectives, | :47:54. | :47:58. | |
Mr Speaker, to encourage more use of site construction. The Secrdtary of | :47:59. | :48:06. | |
State's department is supposed to be England's voice in government. In | :48:07. | :48:09. | |
standing up for the English and the services they depend on seels low in | :48:10. | :48:15. | |
the Minister's priorities. The independent care commission pointed | :48:16. | :48:20. | |
out that huge funding cuts have left services for the elderly and | :48:21. | :48:24. | |
vulnerable at tipping point. With a social care prices across England | :48:25. | :48:28. | |
getting worse week by week, when might we expect the Secretary of | :48:29. | :48:32. | |
State to act? Mr Speaker, I do recognise there is a growing demand | :48:33. | :48:37. | |
for social care across UK, especially in England, and that is | :48:38. | :48:41. | |
why in the last Spending Review we pledged an additional ?3.5 billion | :48:42. | :48:46. | |
by 2020, which includes allowing councils to have a social c`re | :48:47. | :48:51. | |
precept, money which is ring-fenced, and also the better care fund. North | :48:52. | :48:56. | |
Devon Council and the coast`l communities team have just heard | :48:57. | :49:00. | |
that their bid for funding for Ilfracombe's excellent new | :49:01. | :49:03. | |
watersports centre has made it through to the next round. Would the | :49:04. | :49:07. | |
Minister congratulate them `nd agree that it is an excellent exalple of | :49:08. | :49:10. | |
this government reinventing our coastal communities? Absolutely of | :49:11. | :49:16. | |
course, Mr Speaker, I will naturally agree with my honourable frhend and | :49:17. | :49:22. | |
wish Ilfracombe the best. They have made it through to the final 40 We | :49:23. | :49:26. | |
will be making an announcemdnt on the final fund early next ydar. | :49:27. | :49:33. | |
Congratulations again. The Northern Powerhouse project has brought | :49:34. | :49:37. | |
much-needed investment, attdntion and cohesion to northern cities like | :49:38. | :49:43. | |
mine of Manchester. Why is ht, Mr Speaker, that many of the kdy | :49:44. | :49:46. | |
players involved in the Northern Powerhouse project, including former | :49:47. | :49:50. | |
ministers, now feel the programme has been all but cancelled? I'm | :49:51. | :49:56. | |
sorry, Mr Speaker, this is complete and utter nonsense. I have to say | :49:57. | :50:01. | |
that if honourable members opposite are really interested in thd | :50:02. | :50:03. | |
Northern Powerhouse, they should stop talking it down and tr`shing | :50:04. | :50:10. | |
it. We have delivered a record number of enterprise zones, billions | :50:11. | :50:13. | |
of pounds because the north and I know from ten years as a local | :50:14. | :50:17. | |
government council in the north it is a lot more than the Labotr | :50:18. | :50:21. | |
government managed to do during their time in government. The | :50:22. | :50:27. | |
honourable member has perambulator id. But we are happy to hear from | :50:28. | :50:34. | |
him. Thank you. What discussion has my honourable friend had with local | :50:35. | :50:39. | |
authorities on business ratd retention? This is a reform the | :50:40. | :50:43. | |
local government has long c`mpaigned for and I notice something ly | :50:44. | :50:48. | |
honourable friend has shown great interest in. We have held an open | :50:49. | :50:55. | |
consultation which has invited businesses to have their sax, and we | :50:56. | :50:59. | |
have also established a joint steering group with the Loc`l | :51:00. | :51:01. | |
Government Association which considers the mechanisms nedded to | :51:02. | :51:09. | |
run the new system. The rev`luation of business rates has creatdd | :51:10. | :51:14. | |
uncertainty for local authorities. In Stockton we face two problems, | :51:15. | :51:18. | |
small businesses being pricdd out of their town centre and | :51:19. | :51:22. | |
telecommunications companies potentially knocking huge holes in | :51:23. | :51:27. | |
the Government's budget. Can the Minister tell me how the 2007-1 | :51:28. | :51:33. | |
financial settlement will t`ke future revaluations into account so | :51:34. | :51:36. | |
that Stockton council will be no worse off? I think the honotrable | :51:37. | :51:42. | |
gentleman is confusing two hssues. Firstly, in relation to bushness, | :51:43. | :51:46. | |
there is a record ?6.7 billhon of business rate relief, and in | :51:47. | :51:49. | |
relation to the other issue mentioned which was relating to | :51:50. | :51:52. | |
local government funding, I can assure him that within this | :51:53. | :51:58. | |
exercise, it is a revenue ndutral exercise, where all local | :51:59. | :52:00. | |
authorities or any local authority will not be disadvantaged as a | :52:01. | :52:06. | |
result of this revaluation process. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The rapid | :52:07. | :52:10. | |
growth in our alt delete population is one of the key drivers in the | :52:11. | :52:13. | |
demand for housing. Can the Minister tell us what the Government is doing | :52:14. | :52:17. | |
to assure we are not just btilding enough homes, but enough of the | :52:18. | :52:23. | |
right homes for an ageing society? We require councils to plan for a | :52:24. | :52:29. | |
mix of housing but it is not just important that we get the rhght | :52:30. | :52:34. | |
housing for our elderly poptlation, but it also releases crucial family | :52:35. | :52:38. | |
housing and boosts the second-hand market which allows developdrs to | :52:39. | :52:44. | |
build more homes? Powers thd Government's proposal 100% business | :52:45. | :52:49. | |
rate retention compatible whth a statement that there will bd a | :52:50. | :52:53. | |
quote, level of redistributhon between authorities similar to the | :52:54. | :52:59. | |
current system of nine tariffs and top ups? I would say to the | :53:00. | :53:04. | |
honourable gentleman that 100% of business rates will be retahned in | :53:05. | :53:08. | |
local government to be spent on local government services. There | :53:09. | :53:12. | |
will need to be a form of redistribution so we don't leave | :53:13. | :53:15. | |
local authorities who don't collect as many business rates in this | :53:16. | :53:21. | |
situation and we have consulted extensively with the sector and had | :53:22. | :53:25. | |
over 450 responses to that consultation? What is he dohng to | :53:26. | :53:31. | |
help small builders? LAUGHTER | :53:32. | :53:37. | |
We are doing a number of thhngs We have the home-builders fund to | :53:38. | :53:40. | |
provide them with finance and we are also looking at planning policy to | :53:41. | :53:44. | |
make sure we release the vital small sites that small builders c`n take | :53:45. | :53:52. | |
on. I welcome the Prime Minhster's determination to keep the union | :53:53. | :53:56. | |
together, but the devolution to councils, two cities, to ardas like | :53:57. | :53:59. | |
the Northern Powerhouse, can we ensure that we have regular meetings | :54:00. | :54:05. | |
with the devolved governments, and positions, to ensure we are all | :54:06. | :54:11. | |
pulling together? Mr Speaker, I can assure that and I am pleased that | :54:12. | :54:14. | |
the honourable gentleman has expressed his views about the | :54:15. | :54:17. | |
importance of unionism. It hs absolutely key that we conthnue to | :54:18. | :54:22. | |
work together. That is when we are at our strongest. I support the | :54:23. | :54:25. | |
union and that is absolutelx central to that. But is my view and the | :54:26. | :54:34. | |
Prime Minister's view. General aviation makes a valuable | :54:35. | :54:42. | |
contribution to pilot trainhng and sporting aviation. Is the Mhnister | :54:43. | :54:46. | |
aware they are under threat? Redhill is proposed to be housing | :54:47. | :54:50. | |
development. Please can we have a policy that protects general | :54:51. | :54:54. | |
aviation airfields across the country, otherwise they will all be | :54:55. | :55:00. | |
covered in concrete? Mr Spe`ker my right honourable friend's p`ssion | :55:01. | :55:02. | |
for the aviation industry is well known and I am happy to meet with | :55:03. | :55:06. | |
him to discuss this vital sdctor in terms of planning policy and what we | :55:07. | :55:07. | |
can do to protect it. Chester Borough council stand ready | :55:08. | :55:21. | |
to help build more homes but the Government have reneged on the deal | :55:22. | :55:26. | |
they did in 2012. The changds made in terms of friends and mondy coming | :55:27. | :55:30. | |
in make it more difficult to deliver houses. Will the Secretary of State | :55:31. | :55:37. | |
meet a delegation from Chesterfield to understand these changes. I am | :55:38. | :55:43. | |
happy to discuss this issue that the reduction rates helps vulnerable | :55:44. | :55:46. | |
tenants in terms of reducing bills they face, but we must ensure that | :55:47. | :55:52. | |
councils and housing associ`tions can build the homes we need. Can my | :55:53. | :56:00. | |
honourable friend confirm hd is fully engaged in evaluating the | :56:01. | :56:04. | |
Regional Growth Fund bid from Swindon and Wiltshire and whll he | :56:05. | :56:09. | |
ensure the emphasis on long,term skills development at Wiltshire | :56:10. | :56:12. | |
College will be looked on favourably? I met with my honourable | :56:13. | :56:18. | |
friend recently to discuss hssues across South Wiltshire. We `re | :56:19. | :56:23. | |
discussing issues and bids `t the moment, and will have an | :56:24. | :56:28. | |
announcement on that shortlx. In terms of the Secretary of State s | :56:29. | :56:35. | |
regeneration of coastal comlunities, North Antrim has the only rdgional | :56:36. | :56:41. | |
island of it sure that is inhabited by people, Rathlin. He will also be | :56:42. | :56:46. | |
aware of Ollie Kassel, Bushlills and Ballintoy. Could they invitd the | :56:47. | :56:52. | |
Secretary of State to these areas to see regeneration... I'm grateful but | :56:53. | :56:58. | |
the extinguisher has run out of water. Secretary of State. He is | :56:59. | :57:05. | |
always passionate, he can invite me and I would love to come. I would | :57:06. | :57:13. | |
call that member for South Dast Cambridgeshire if she was standing. | :57:14. | :57:19. | |
She is now. I would like to refer to that question raised by my | :57:20. | :57:23. | |
honourable friend who mentioned the link between mental health `nd | :57:24. | :57:29. | |
homelessness. Does the honotrable member understands that reports say | :57:30. | :57:38. | |
60% of homeless people also have mental health issues and wh`t is he | :57:39. | :57:43. | |
doing to blaze with the Dep`rtment of Health and local authorities to | :57:44. | :57:51. | |
change this? As my honourable friend highlights, homelessness is more | :57:52. | :57:55. | |
than a housing issue, she c`n be assured we are working across | :57:56. | :57:58. | |
government, my department and the Department of Health, to make sure | :57:59. | :58:05. | |
we do everything we can and I think our recent announcement demonstrates | :58:06. | :58:09. | |
that. One of the main waste developers in London managed the | :58:10. | :58:15. | |
levels of affordable housing is with financial viability assessmdnts | :58:16. | :58:20. | |
Does the minister agree all local authorities should make these | :58:21. | :58:24. | |
assessments public so communities can scrutinise them? I think we need | :58:25. | :58:30. | |
to take conflict out of our planning system, whether I agree that level | :58:31. | :58:36. | |
of need, or viability assessments, and there is no work in this country | :58:37. | :58:40. | |
for the gap between what we are building and what we need to build | :58:41. | :58:47. | |
is greater than in London. Forgive me as I raise Christmas shopping but | :58:48. | :58:52. | |
as internet retailers prepare for Black Friday, it is rural hhgh | :58:53. | :58:58. | |
streets that struggle. Will the Secretary of State support high | :58:59. | :59:04. | |
streets football by visiting up than high street for his Christm`s | :59:05. | :59:10. | |
shopping? I will be spreading my Christmas shopping across l`rge | :59:11. | :59:14. | |
parts of my constituency but I would be delighted to visit. As wd get | :59:15. | :59:18. | |
towards Christmas, people should try to shop local. Order, order. Will | :59:19. | :59:27. | |
the member wishing to take her seat please come to the table? | :59:28. | :59:57. | |
I swear by Almighty God that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance | :59:58. | :00:07. | |
to Her Majesty Queen Elizabdth, her heirs and successors, according to | :00:08. | :00:15. | |
law, so help me God. You've got me | :00:16. | :00:16. |