30/10/2017 House of Commons

flexible working bill. -- Boris

Johnson will speak on the Centenary

of the stick-mac. Now the questions

with the Communities Secretary,

Sajid Javid.

Since 2012 we have

invested £174 million in 295

projects with the coastal

communities fund, which have helped

deliver over 18,000 jobs, as is

forecast. Money has been provided

through the fund to support economic

growth and job creation.

Craig

Mackinlay.

Does he agree that it

helps attract more visitors to our

coastal communities so they will

thrive, and as he promised to

consider carefully any future bids

to the fund to restore the front of

Ramsgate Royal Harbour in my

constituency, the only royal Harbour

in the country, to its former glory?

Mr Speaker, I agree with my

honourable friend. The £2.5 million

already allocated to his

constituency will help South Thanet

thrive and help attract more

visitors suddenly, and I say we have

helped secure funding already. I

know he is a passionate advocate of

Ramsgate Royal Harbour and I know he

is a meeting coming up with the

local growth minister to discuss his

plans.

The North Sea region

programme is funded by EU grants,

270 -- totalling 170 million euros.

What plans are there for replacing

that funding when the UK leaves the

EU?

The honourable lady will know we

have set out plans for the UK Shared

Prosperity Fund, which eventually

when it comes into play will replace

you funding such as that which he

mentions.

Mr Speaker, we will make

it mandatory for landlords to be

part of an ombudsman scheme and we

are increasing local authority

powers to tackle fraud practices. We

also publisher call for Eddie and

evidence seeking views on agents on

the 18th of October -- call for

evidence.

Over to the register of

interests. Can I thank my honourable

friend for that answer? In clamping

down on practices in the private

sector can I urge to keep an eye on

some of our housing associations who

seem to think they are often above

and beyond the rules and regulations

which govern the private sector?

Mr

Speaker, my honourable friend is

absolutely right to raise the

profile of social housing tenants.

This is why last month we announced

there will be a Green paper on

social housing, a broad review of

issues facing social housing sector,

to ensure tenants' voices are heard.

My honourable friend the Housing

minister is travelling across the

country to listen to tenants and

make sure we truly understand all

the issues.

Under the council's

excellent landlord licensing working

with HMRC and the police the council

since January has issued 204 notices

to address and a serious hazards --

2004 notices. Can the Secretary of

State assure me that from the 1st of

January he will not deny private

tenants in my constituency the vital

protection that this scheme

provides?

Mr Speaker, the right

honourable gentleman will know that

the licensing is an important part

of making sure we can look after

tenants, particularly those who

might be more vulnerable. Every

application we get, we consider

carefully. We want to make sure it

is proportioned but we will

absolutely take a very careful look

at it.

I welcome the Government

plans to reform both the lettings

market but also the estate agents

market. Given however that most

firms undertake both lettings and

sales, will the Government avoid

unnecessary duplication of both

rules and regulators. So -- separate

resumes could be confusing for

consumers and difficult for

business.

My honourable friend

speaks with experience and makes a

very good point. Of course we will

absolutely want to avoid unnecessary

regulation, duplicate regulation,

but I think he agrees with the

Government that regulating letting

agents is absolutely necessary and

it is good we are progressing with

it.

Is it one of the first lines of

defence against rogue landlords,

local Government, and particularly

health inspectors, so how does

taking an axe to local Government

finance help tenants?

Mr Speaker,

the honourable honourable gentleman

should know that when we change the

law in April 2017 so local

authorities had more power to

intervene against rogue landlords,

we also provided additional funding,

some £12 million.

Can the Secretary

of State tell us what steps the

Government is taking to encourage

private landlords to offer longer

tenancies?

My right honourable

friend makes a very important point.

As we fix our broken housing market

with so many more people today

renting than ever before, it is

important we listen to them and we

find ways to ensure that more are

offered longer tenancies. That is

why I recently announced this is

something the Government actively

are looking at and we will bring

forward plans which will ensure this

in the budget.

Number three, Mr

Speaker.

Mr Speaker, we have

established a building safety

programme and identified all unsafe

aluminium material cladding on

English social housing buildings

over 18 metres. I have also asked

all local authorities in England to

identify such cladding on privately

owned residential tower blocks and

to report their findings to

Government. This is to ensure

appropriate action is being taken to

keep all residents safe.

I thank the

Secretary of State for that reply,

but I want to ask him about things

that could be done to prevent fires

from claiming lives. We know that

sprinklers save lives yet only 2% of

council tower blocks have sprinkler

systems. As the Secretary of State

content with that state of affairs,

and is not four months on from the

Grenfell Tower tragedy, when will he

stop passing the buck and help local

authorities that sprinklers in

high-rise buildings?

The honourable

lady will know that it is already

the law in building regulations that

since 2007 any new high-rise

dwellings above 30 meters are

required to fit sprinklers. In terms

of whether that is appropriate and

whether more can be done, I think

the appropriate way to look at it is

through the independent building

regulations review of fire safety

that we are taking and we will

listen very carefully. I know the

game is gathering evidence and there

is a call for evidence right now and

perhaps the honourable lady would

like to input into that. -- I know

that the Dame is gathering evidence.

Licensing recycling site has toxic

chemicals and presents real concerns

as the fire safety. Would my

honourable friend meet to discuss

the need to ensure fire safety is

our top priority in house-building

as well?

My honourable friend 's

right to raise this issue. I am not

aware of the details but I would

happily meet with her to discuss it

further.

Can he tell us what

progress he has made in introducing

compulsory electrical safety checks?

The honourable lady will know that

firstly the Department's on

responsibilities in this area are

shared with other departments, such

as bays, and I am working with my

colleague the Secretary of State

there to look into this further, but

also the building regulations fire

safety review is a broader fire

safety review and I certainly expect

to look at those issues as well.

Is

it not an irony actually that it

wasn't that enough money was not

spent on Grenfell Tower, but that

£10 million was spent on Grenfell

Tower to provide cladding to stop

water ingress, which cost the whole

problem? And is my right honourable

friend aware that experts have told

me that sprinklers are not the sole

solution to this issue? Sprinklers

alone without sound fire doors will

not work, and there are other

provisions that can be made.

Mr

Speaker, if my honourable friend

will allow me, I will not speculate

on Grenfell Tower and the causes of

the terrible tragedy. I'm sure my

friend and a stand that. In terms of

his broader point about --

understands that. About measures

which are also important, such as

fire doors, something we found in

Camden for example when fire safety

checks are done. There were hundreds

of fire doors that were not there,

in place. So there are other

measures alongside the drinkers that

certainly could and should be taken

where necessary.

What readers will

be available to private leaseholders

in a private residential block --

what recourse will be available.

Where the company has failed the

test and neither does not have money

to carry out that works or goes into

dissolution?

The honourable lady,

firstly, she will know there are

ugly dress mechanisms available at

the moment. Many of them actually do

depend -- there are redress measures

are available at the moment. Many

depend on whether the freeholders or

management agents are members of

redress scheme, and this is one of

the reasons we've easily and edge

they need to regulate all agents

which look after these type of

buildings to see what more we can

do.

How is an association which

operates residential blocks in my

constituency and also has an

important role to play in fire

safety, Willie got an to improve

that to make sure the residents are

safe?

-- will Keane join me in

calling for them to improve that. I

will join him in calling for that.

He is right to point at the

critically important for housing

associations play and I must say

ever since that terrible tragedy

that took place at Grenfell Tower I

have seen a great response on

housing associations and certainly

the National Housing Federation and

I will continue to work with them.

The Scottish Parliament's local

Government and communities committee

issued this morning report on

building regulations and fire safety

in Scotland. Amongst the

recommendations and support it has

given to the ministerial working in

Scotland, there are unannounced

inspections by the fire and safety

service and the National inventory

of all high-rise domestic buildings

in Scotland. Would the Minister

support such regulations for England

as well?

I can tell the honourable

lady that firstly I listened

carefully to what she has said and I

follow developments closely and

Scotland. We are working closely

with our Scottish colleagues to make

sure we can share information and

knowledge on this very important

issue. As to whether we would follow

similar steps in England, I think it

is important I leave the first

decision-making for the independent

building regulations review.

Number

four, Mr Speaker.

With your

permission, Mr Speaker, I will

answer this question together with

questions 13 and 17. Temporary

accommodation insurers no child is

left without a roof over their head.

Homelessness prevention is at the

centre of our approach to protecting

the most vulnerable. We are spending

over £950 million until 2020 to

prevent homelessness and rough

sleeping, as well as implement in

the most ambitious set of

legislative reforms in decades in

the Homelessness Reduction Act.

I asked the Minister what recent

estimate he had made of the number

of children in temporary

accommodation, the answer is more

than 120,000 in this country. Up 66%

since his Government came to power.

Why?

Well, I would say to the

honourable gentleman that the number

of children in temporary

accommodation is below its peak

which was in 2006 but we are

certainly not complacent and that's

why we put in £402 million to the

flexible homelessness support grant

over the next two years so that

local areas can plan strategically

to reduce the number of people in

temporary accommodation.

Three-and-a-half billion has been

spent on temporary accommodation in

the private sector in the last five

years. Most of the costs of this is

found from the DWP even for

households that work. Wouldn't this

money be better spent building and

letting council homes whose rent

would be less than half that of

expensive poor quality temporary

accommodation?

Well, this is the

exact reason why we have introduced

the flexible homelessness support

grant and are devolving £402 million

to local authorities over the next

two years so they can plan more

strategically as I said to the

honourable gentleman. The honourable

lady will be pleased to know the use

of temporary accommodation in her

area is actually reducing.

The

number of families in temporary

accommodation in Croydon has doubled

in seven years. Two-thirds of

families right now in Croydon in

local authority housing are in debt

and at risk of eviction directly

because of universal credit. How

will the Minister stop more families

in Croydon on universal credit

becoming homeless and spending the

winter months in temporary

accommodation?

Well, the latest

available figures show that the

number of people in temporary

accommodation in Croydon is actually

reducing. This Government has

actually given £1 million to Croydon

for the prevention - homelessness

prevention trailblazer that they put

in for. I would say to the

honourable lady that this Government

has given 870 million in

discretionary payments to help those

in difficulty.

Willesden council has

provided a stellar service

supporting vulnerable children and

homeless children. However, pressure

at East Sussex County Council may

lead to a change in service

provision in rural areas like

Wealden. Will my right honourable

friend agree to me with me and

councillors to help them deliver

services.

I hear what my honourable

friend says and I will certainly be

willing to meet with her and get

that meeting into the diary.

Child

victims of human trafficking are the

responsibility of local Government.

Adult victims of human trafficking

are dealt with nationally. Would it

not be a good idea to make children

victims of human trafficking looked

after nationally, which would also

free up the money for local

Government to look after other

children?

My honourable friend

raises an important point. This is

an issue which is very important and

we are considering very carefully,

particularly as we come up to the

local Government finance settlement,

and certainly I hear what my

honourable friend says and no doubt

his views will be considered as we

take this area of policy forward.

Northamptonshire has a

disproportionately large number of

unaccompanied asylum seeker children

which are very expensive for the

local authority to look after. Will

my honourable friend look at the

local Government funding formula to

make sure Northamptonshire is

getting its fair share of resources?

I am aware of the issues that my

honourable friend puts to the House,

particularly based on many issues

late into the motorway network that

runs through Northamptonshire. My

honourable friend will know that we

have undertaken to do a fair funding

review to see how local Government

resources are distributed and we are

still committed to that and will

take work forward shortly.

Despite

the shocking increases in

homelessness overseen by this

Government the recent National Audit

Office report found the Minister's

department has not produced a

strategy to tackle homelessness.

When are they going to come up with

a plan and publish it so we can

finally see some action for the

120,000 homeless children in Britain

today?

As the honourable friend lady knows

this Government is doing a

significant amount to change the

culture across the country and make

sure that we do far more in relation

to prevention, through the

homelessness reduction act we are

confident that we are going to see

significant progress and as I said,

right at the start of this question

section, we are putting £950 million

into this, up to 2020.

Number five,

Mr Speaker.

Thank you. With your

permission, Pr Speaker I would like

to group this question with eight

and 14. I have met or

correspondented with every met

remayor in England during the last

month and my right honourable friend

the Secretary of State as Midlands

engine champion chairs an

inter-Ministerial grup to drive

forward its growth. -- group.

Would

the Minister agree that one of the

vital roles to be played by elected

mayors like Andy Street in the West

Midlands is to focus on skills,

particularly in areas like the Black

Country where we have a lot of young

people without basic skills to make

sure that they can take the

opportunities that are out there and

jobs out there and to drive economic

growth in areas like the Black

Country?

Well, as my honourable

friend is aware, that Andy Street is

already play ago vital role in

tackling the skills gap. As he will

also be aware, we are devolving the

adult education skills budget from

2019 to support all our metro mayors

as they drive forward skills in

their area.

The Government's

devolution to city region mayors has

been a real success in the West

Midlands and last month Andy Street

announced £2. 1 million for the

region's creative and technology

industries. Does my honourable

friend agree that devolution can

only bring prosperity, jobs and a

bright future to the people of my

constituency and the constituency

across Walsall.

I agree with my

honourable friend that Andy Street

is a prime example of how leadership

and accountability of metro mayors

can drive forward our country's

economy. Only this month he approved

a bike-sharing scheme in the West

Midlands, so it's move over Boris

Bikes and time for Street Cycles.

Does the Minister support the

innovative work of andy Street to

boost the number of houses in the

West Midlands, absolutely key to

economic growth, intensifying the

use of urban areas to take pressure

off our green belt, particularly

around Solihull?

Thank you. The mayor of the West

Midlands, Andy Srooet is determined

to build the houses we need. We are

supporting development across our

country through the £2. 3 billion

housing infrastructure fund. The

outcome of the bidding process will

be available shortly.

CBI, the FSB,

TUC and many of the ministers

colleagues in local Government all

believe there is a strong economic

case for a devolved settlement for

One Yorkshire. When the Minister

works through the Ministerial box,

does he ever just think that he

might be on the wrong side of this

argument?

The Government has been

absolutely clear, not least in the

letter from my right honourable

friend the Secretary of State on the

15th September, that we will not

undermine or unpick the South

Yorkshire devolution deal which,

after all, was legislated for by

this House of Commons. However, I

would acknowledge that the

honourable gentleman and I have held

recent discussions which have been

extremely helpful and we have also

been clear that completion of the

South Yorkshire deal does not

preclude any other devolution deals

across Yorkshire.

The responsibility

for the health and work programme

has been devolved in Greater

Manchester to the Metropolitan mayor

Andy Burnham. But can I ask the

Minister if the funding which has

been made available, £52 million,

including European structural fund

money, will be continued beyond the

period of the FS funding that that

money will be continue to be made

good by the Government and continue

to be devolved to the Manchester

stir?

The mayor of Greater

Manchester, Andy Burnham, you have

to give them something to cheer

about, MrSpeaker, is doing an

exceptional job driving forward

Manchester and the economy. The

honourable lady will be aware that

recent guarantee was put in place

for all European funding. What

happens after that guarantee is

ultimately a matter for this House.

Far from being devolution street,

it's more like a devolution

cul-de-sac. Isn't the truth that

devolution has - isn't the truth

that devolution has stalled. That's

bad news for those with devolved

settlements but it's worse news for

32 million people in England who

don't have any devolution settlement

whatsoever. When can we expect to

see the framework for devolution in

England?

33% of England now has an

elected mayor and it is the

Conservative Party that is returning

power back from London to our

regions and unlike the Labour Party

that wants to nationalise and

centralise everything, like Citizen

Smith, I can say power to the

people.

It's clear from what the

Minister says that Andy Sreet is

doing a grand job in the West

Midlands. But what about those areas

that have not got elected mayors.

Can the Minister assure me that they

will be considered when the

Government look at further

devolution projects? We urgently

need one in northern Lincolnshire.

The Government's manifesto committed

to provide clarity across England,

for what devolution means for

different administrations, by

setting out a clear devolution

framework. As we set out the next

steps in our industrial strategy,

this is exactly what we intend to do

as well as clarify things like town

deals for places like Grimsby.

Bristol is the only city outside

London to make a net contribution to

GDP but we do need money to invest

in infrastructure if we are to make

the most of that economic

contribution. We now have a bid in

for £250 million for the housing

infrastructure fund. Can I urge the

Minister and the Secretary of State

who is very familiar with Bristol

and the needs of the city to look at

that seriously because the only way

we can unlock the investment is to

have that money.

The mayor of the

west of England worked closely with

the Government bringing forward his

housing infrastructure bid. As I

said in answer to a previous

question, the decisions about that

fund will be made shortly.

Question

number six, please.

It is for

Magistrates courts to decide whether

a custodial sentence should be

imposed for non-payment of council

tax, taking account of the

particular circumstances in each

case. There has been a slight

reduction in the number of such

cases since 2009-10.

Isn't it time

that non-payment of council tax

ceased to be an offence punishable

by jail time. How can it be right

that anyone should do time for

falling into debt?

I certainly agree

with the honourable gentleman that

people who are in genuine hardship

should be supported. That's why

there are over four million people

on local council tax support schemes

payments throughout the country. But

I think we also need to recognise

that every payment of council tax

that is not collected means high

council tax bills law abiding

citizens that do pay and there needs

to a be form of enforcement and

sanction but that needs to be used

proportionately and as the

honourable gentleman can see the

number of people getting a custodial

sentence is actually reducing.

Guidance to local authorities advice

us to be sympathetic to those in

genuine hardship. Does the Minister

believe that a custodial sentence

with no right of appeal, no

remission for good behaviour and no

requirement for a presentencing

report shows sympathy for those

struggling to pay their council tax

and will it lead to more or less

families being in genuine hardship?

Well, I would just say to the

honourable lady that council tax is

in real terms 9. 1% lower than it

was in 2010 and during the period of

the Labour Government from 1997 to

2010 the cost of council tax

doubled. Now as I said to the

honourable gentleman in my response,

four million people receive local

council tax support. We are

absolutely clear and publish

guidance in 2013 on good practice

and we want to make sure that those

in genuine hardship are supported

and enforcement is proportionate.

Number seven.

I welcome the development of family

hubs and indeed we know a lot of

areas that are already moving

towards this model of supporting

children and families. Local

Government and their partners

understand the needs of communities

best. They should be the ones to

determine how they provide services

for families.

As we know, the wheels can follow

off any family wagon at any point

yet family pubs can be a central

part of the solution to improve the

lives of children right up to the

age of 18. Does the Minister agree

more local areas should upgrade

their children centres to family

hubs so we can do this essential

work?

I welcome my honourable

friend's commitment to excellent

services for children and families.

Ultimately it is up to the council

to decide on the best solution for

their area, but I would say it is

important that the whole of the

family do have access to the right

services to meet their needs.

On

that very point, of the 120,000

children in temporary accommodation

across 77,240 families, 28% are

housed in Boro 's other than their

own. Very often the receiving

borough has no idea that those

children, many vulnerable, are

entering their area -- they are

housed in boroughs other than their

own. Would you look at the prospect

of providing family hubs outside

home borrowers? -- home borough?

We

are absolutely clear that when

people are placed in temporary

accommodation access to things such

as schooling is taken into account.

We are also absolutely clear that

were people are moved outside or to

a different borough that they should

be informing the receiving borough

and support should be being given to

those families. I can tell the

honourable lady, though, that I am

working to support London

authorities working with the GLA to

actually improve the situation

around temporary accommodation

across London and the procurement of

it.

It is good to hear members from

across the's talking of the value of

early intervention at family hubs,

and I would ask the Minister to come

to Manchester to see the early years

delivery model which is now

transforming lives in those areas --

across the House. But critical to

those family hubs is the support of

the local authority and does he

agree with me that the slash and

burn approach of early intervention

monies is putting children's lives

at risk?

Well, I'm aware that under

the northern powerhouse initiative

we are putting in £3.2 million to

Manchester for early intervention,

and I would certainly say to the

honourable lady that the next time

I'm up in that neck of the woods I

would certainly be keen to come and

see what is working in Manchester,

but I can reassure her that this

Government is absolutely committed

to early intervention, both through

children's sectors and through the

Troubled Families Programme.

Thank

you, Mr Speaker. Across swathes of

England children's services are now

in crisis. Seven years of Government

funding cuts to services supporting

families is failing children and

driving councils to the financial

brink. Only last week, a poll showed

the majority of councillors in the

Minister's on party did not back

their cuts. When will the Minister

finally admit that there is a

growing emergency in children's

social care, and finally take some

action, head of the budget, to deal

with this major crisis for council

is now?

I can say to the honourable

gentleman that over £200 billion is

being given to local authorities up

to 2020 to support local services.

Children's services and early

intervention are amongst that

funding stream. What I would also

say to him, we are absolutely aware

of the challenges in many areas with

providing children's services and

safeguarding and this Government

continually looks at ways in which

we can support local Government in

this regard.

Number nine, Mr

Speaker.

On the 14th of September we

published a consultation that

proposes a new standard approach to

assessing housing need which will

play a crucial role in helping to

meet our housing ambitions and the

proposed approach will reduce

complexity and cost and increase

transparency.

I thank the Minister

for that answer. Understandably,

more people are wanting to move to

Cornwall to live, after all it is

the best place in the UK to work,

raise a family, or indeed retire,

but that is putting unprecedented

levels of demand on our housing

stock. We currently have over 20,000

people on the housing register, and

young people are being priced out of

ever owning their own home, so can

the Minister tell me if he believes

the approach he has outlined will

help to deliver more housing for

local people in Cornwall?

My

honourable friend is absolutely

right. The starting point has to be

an honest and open and consistent

approach in assessing the number of

homes and area needs, and that is

precisely what this new approach to

housing needs and will deliver.

My

constituency is also a beautiful

place to live. But we have homes

that are not being sold because they

are being sold under leasehold

arrangements. I wonder if the

Minister will let us know when his

excellent consultation on the

crackdown on unfair leasehold

practices will announce its results

so that our housing market can again

get moving?

The honourable lady

makes a very important point. We

need to make sure there is fairness

in the system and that is precisely

why we launched the consultation. A

significant number of people

responded and we will respond in due

course.

The housing needs white

Paper also covers viability

assessments, and the use of these by

developers in the consultation, it

refers to developers gaming the

system to avoid section 106

contributions such as affordable

housing. Would my honourable

friend... Does he agree we need to

look at these assessments, whether

they are appropriate for the market

today, whether they should be

completely?

As my honourable friend

will know, we are actually

consulting on those changes when it

comes to viability assessments as

part of the local housing needs

assessment, and what we have said in

the housing White Paper, under our

proposals we would expect

assessments of housing to be

constructed at the plan making stage

which will ensure more certainty.

My

constituents in the villages find

themselves in a perverse situation.

The District Council are proposing

to build 4400 homes in the green

belt between the villages to meet

Oxford city's I met housing needs,

but according to the plans that are

unmet need is no propose to go under

the new assessment, so in short the

district are putting the cart before

the horse. With the Minister agree

to meet with me so I can explain the

situation more fully and reassure my

constituents there are grave

concerns about this plan can be

sorted.

I will meet with the

honourable lady but I should point

out when it comes to green belt we

are committed to retaining the

current protections. However, there

will be exceptional circumstances we

are places majors to amend their

green belt but they will have to

take the local community with it.

Mr

Speaker, number ten.

A strong

Midlands engine is vital to

Britain's economy. We have provided

the Midlands with £1.9 million of

local crop funding and in March we

launched their strategy to drive

economic growth and improved quality

of life.

Afamasaga curiosity for

that answer. Does my right

honourable friend agree with me that

-- I thank the Secretary for that

answer. In my constituency, a direct

link into the new airport and the

new East Midlands Gateway is needed,

does he agree?

I agree with my

honourable friend that transport is

critical to the success of the

Midlands engine. A £1 billion year

boost could be achieved for the

economy creating jobs. The recent

commission on the Gateway

connectivity study will study how to

achieve this and will be looking at

the East Midlands Airport.

The

Secretary of State has just said

transport links are essential if the

Midlands engine is to drive economic

growth we all want. Can the Minister

is plain why his colleagues will not

allow the full electrification of

the Midland mainline? .

Honourable

gentleman will know that under this

Government since 2010 we have seen a

record investment in transport

infrastructure in this country

including in the Midlands. That

includes the recent announcement and

the help the Government will provide

in creating the Midlands rail hub

concept.

My constituency it has some

of the most beautiful places in the

Midlands, and dare I say it, in the

country? Does my right honourable

friend share my view that the

Midlands engine should travel as far

as the Lincolnshire coast line to

deliver the vital infrastructure we

need for our oral and coastal

economies they are?

I do agree --

our rural and coastal commies. I do

agree, and the Midlands engine does

travel that far, and she is right to

raise some of the issues and

particular challenges faced by our

coastal communities. That is why we

are having a fifth round of our

coastal communities fund to be

launched early next year and I would

urge her to get in her application.

Of course the Midlands engine sits

as a sister organisation to the

Northern powerhouse, and I wondered

in light of the comments made

earlier whether the Secretary of

State, in order to drive economic

growth in Yorkshire and the Humber,

would be willing to meet with

Yorkshire and Humber MPs to discuss

the future of devolution in

Yorkshire and the Humber?

I did

recently actually received a request

to meet with Yorkshire and Humber

MPs and also local council leaders

and I have accepted that request and

am very much looking forward to the

meeting.

The Government is investing

over £9 billion between 2016 and

2021 to deliver a wide range of

affordable housing to meet the needs

of the broad range of people

including homes for social rent. We

have also confirmed a long-term rent

certainty for social landlords

creating a stable investment

environment for support for councils

and housing associations.

Local

housing associations in my

constituency have welcomed the

recent Government announcements.

What is the Government doing to

assist them build more affordable

homes?

As I just noted, part of the

£9 billion of course is that £2

billion my honourable friend

announced in terms of additional

funding for housing, including the

clarity on rent, and housing

association leader i have spoken

with a very positive about these

measures, allowing them to build

additional affordable homes as well

as improved current stock.

will the

minister read something in the

history of harold macmillan? He was

a Prime Minister who actually built

houses, and this Government isn't

building houses and certainly not

building affordable houses. When

will there be an imaginative plan to

build houses?

There have been almost

a million homes built since 2010,

and since he talks about the record

I can tell him in terms of

affordable homes over the past six

years more have been built van in

the first six years and the last six

years of the last Labour Government.

We will not take any lectures from

Labour on building affordable homes.

With the secretary tell me if he has

had any further talks with lenders?

The housing is unaffordable in the

country and trying to get mortgages

or extended lending terms is very

difficult for those struggling to

get on the housing ladder?

As my

honourable friend will know, we

announced an extra £10 million for

they help to buy scheme and there

are a number of other schemes on the

market but ultimately this is about

making sure more homes are built and

that is what will drive

affordability.

The city of York

consultation on the local plant

closes tonight and the city have

failed massively on the tenure

needed in the city of York and by

5800 sort of statutory guidance, so

will the Minister insurer if

guidance is that it is followed?

--

will the Minister insurer that if

guidance is set, it is followed. We

want to ensure the plans are put on

the right places and of course it

will be checked by the inspector.

Question 15.

Mr Speaker, our housing

White Paper, fixing our broken

housing market, was published in

February this year and sets out how

to build the homes are country

needs. We want to do this by

diversifying the number of those

building homes, increasing build-out

rates, supporting home-buyers, and

releasing more land.

4500 homes have

been built at Beaulieu Park and

chums would add another 5000 plus

are planned but the roads are at

capacity and we need a new railway

station and a bypass. This is

Essex's number one priority for the

infrastructure fund. Will the

Minister meet with me to discuss

this important infrastructure to

unlock housing? -- and Chelmsford.

This is very welcome for

constituents. I will of course meet

with her. As she knows I cannot

comment on these particular bids,

but I can tell her there has been a

lot of interest in the £2.3 billion

for the housing infrastructure fund.

As we embark on a major housing

programme does the Minister agree we

should be building the houses of the

future, such as zero energy bill

homes, particularly helpful to

people on low incomes or they don't

have to pay gas and villages the

bills?

Yes, of course, we should be

doing precisely that. -- don't have

to pay gas and electricity bills. We

have strengthened the requirement of

new homes by 31 present and that has

reduced -- by 30% and that has

reduced average.

Can the Minister

clarify the Government policy

regarding building on the green

belt?

I thought I had already clarified.

Let me make it clear, we believe in

protecting the green belt but there

will be exceptional circumstances

local authorities can look at but

they need to take them with me.

We

welcome back to his place the member

for Grantham and Stamford. MrNick

loss Bowles.

Thank you very much, it

is going to be back. The Government

has made remarkable progress in

cutting the deficit from the 10 and

a half peace processes of expected

we inherited in 2010 to 2.5% now.

Can I therefore urge everyone to

back the Secretary of State in his

call for special borrowing to put in

place the infrastructure to unlock

the hundreds of thoufs of extra

houses that we need. That is the

kind of borrowing we should all be

able to support.

Of course in this

House we all support the ambition to

build more homes. I would say that

he should wait for the budget

announcement in terms of any

specifics.

Has my honourable friend

made an assessment of the need for

social housing, particularly in

Newtowns such as mine in Harlow and

will he look at tax incentives to

ensure housing associations can

build more social housing?

I can

tell him that the announcements we

have made in terms of rent

certainty, up to CPI plus 1% from

2020 as as well as the extra billion

has been hugely welcome by housing

associations and we are in a

constant dialogue with them.

Question 16, Mr Speaker.

Thank you.

I recently met with my honourable

friend the member for Chichester.

The right honourable member for

Barking and the falset society to

discuss this important issue. As a

start I will be holding a round

table with local Government

organisations, cross-party

councillors and officers in November

on how we break down the barriers

preventing women engaging with local

politics and standing to be a

councillor.

Women are

disproportionately affected by

services under local Government

control and yet just one in four

directly elected mayors and 17% of

local authority leaders are women.

In order to address this imbalance

will the Government now ledge late

for all women shortlists in local

Government elections?

As I have said

this is a situation that we take

very seriously in this Government.

We want to see more women

representation on councils, we want

to see more women representation on

Cabinets. I think the political

parties have very much a part to

play in that and I think members in

this House have a part to play in

terms of encouraging people to stand

for election. We are going to look

at this far more carefully, though.

Can I thank the Minister for meeting

with myself and the right honourable

member for Barking. Could I ask the

Minister to consider introducing

consistent maternity and paternity

leave plus adequate child care

policies across councils to

encourage more women candidates to

come forward?

Well, I thank my

honourable friend for the meeting

and the work she's done in this area

with the falset society. As I said

in the response to the previous

question, this is an area that we

are going to look at very carefully

and I am sure my honourable friend

will bring these ideas to the table

when we meet in November.

Order.

Topical question. Dan Carden.

Number

one, Mr Speaker.

The Secretary of

State.

Since the last departmental

questions I have announced plans to

require all private landlords to

join the redress scheme, for all

engagements to be regulated, a

clampdown on rouge agent and plans

to improve the process of buying and

selling homes. Anyone who works hard

should be able to afford a place

they call their hone and we will

continue to do everything possible

to make this vision a reality.

Does

the Secretary of State not

understand that people outside of

this place simply cannot grasp his

reluctance to accept that sprinklers

in tower blocks are necessary fire

safety works. Coroners for lack

House and Shirley House towers

recommended them and his department

is turning down requests from

councils and housing associations to

pay for them. We don't need another

review, we need common sense.

Well,

first of all, the honourable

gentleman says that coroners

recommend, it's worth reminding him

the then housing Minister, sitting

opposite me now, when he was asked

about the Government paying for

sprinklers, he responded that the

resources local authorities receive

for management and main tannance and

repairs should enable them to

implement measures. There was no new

money. This Government has said is

that we will help every local

Government can any essential fire

safety measures.

Can I declare my

interest as a member of Kettering

Borough council. Precious on the

council in Northamptonshire could be

addressed by reform of local

Government structures in the County

including perhaps the establishment

of a combined social care and health

commissioner. Would my right

honourable friend confirm he is open

minded to such suggestions?

My

honourable friend is quite right to

raise this. There are councils

already that have come together and

put forward restructuring proposals.

We are considering each one of those

carefully and if Northamptonshire

was to come forward I would look at

it very carefully.

Three-and-a-half

million families with a variable

rate mortgage face higher costs if

the Bank of England put up interest

rates this week. Can I ask the

Secretary of State why is the

Government at this time of all times

scrapping support for mortgage

interest payments?

This Government

has made it very clear, in our

ambition to have more people own

their homes. There is a area of

areas of intervention. One of the

most prominent is the help-to-buy

scheme which is helping hundreds of

thousands of people which otherwise

may not have been able to buy a

home, get on the housing ladder for

the first time but ultimately if he,

like me, wants to help more people

own their own homes he should

support this Government can the

housing White Paper and other

measures we take.

The Secretary of

State's flanneling, home ownership

is at a 30-year low and he doesn't

appreciate 126,000 households,

including 60,000 pensioner

households, get help from the

current scheme. From April, they,

and anyone else struggling with

their mortgage costs, will be

offered a loan. A loan is no good if

you are already struggling with the

cost of the loan you have got. So,

under Labour, with our mortgage

rescue scheme, help was there when

it was needed from families facing

repossession. Honourable gentlemen

laugh from the other side. Can I say

to the Secretary of State who takes

this more seriously, will he use the

budget to scrap the Government's

current changes and back instead a

new home ownership guarantee scheme

as Labour proposed at the election?

The right honourable friend talks

about what happened under Labour

when it came to housing. Let me

remind him. When he was the housing

Minister, house-building fell to

almost its lowest level for almost

100 years. The number of social

units available for rent declined by

410,000 units. So we won't be taking

any lectures from the right

honourable friend.

Will the

Secretary of State look at what can

be done to lift restrictive planning

conditions that are holding back

long-term economic growth?

Planning

conditions should of course only be

imposed where they are necessary and

meet the other requirements of

national policy. What I can say more

widely is that we are making changes

in terms of the system, planning

fees are being increased which will

ensure there is more money being

planning authorities and we are also

looking at requiring increase in

build out rates.

In Bristol

University expansion means

significant increase in student

numbers putting pressure right now

on stretched local services yet

student accommodation providers

provide almost - contribute almost

nothing to the costs. Will the

Secretary of State meet with me to

discuss bringing student

accommodation within the soap of

business rates like other businesses

to help ease this strain on Bristol

and other councils.

I can confirm to

the honourable lady that we have no

plans to change business rates to

bring into the scope student

accommodation as she advocates.

People are depending on local action

to help secure affordable housing.

What lessons can the Government

learn from the Mayor of London's

poor record on housing?

My

honourable friend raises an

important point because what's now

become apparent despite all the talk

from the Mayor of London that in the

year that he has been in office,

first year in office, not a single

home, not one for social rent, has

started by this Labour mayor of

Government and housing starts are

down by a third in the last quarter.

That's his track record, he needs to

live up to his word and build more

homes for Londoners.

In 2016, DCLG

provided a transition grant to some

local authorities, calculations and

assumption for this were not

personed and 80% went to gof

councils. Will Minister pledge to

make sure come clagss available and

will they confirm future funding

will be paced on need rather than

anything else?

Well, this was part

of a four-year settlement which was

an historic four-year settlement.

97% of local authorities signed up

to that four-year settlement. Yes,

there were some challenges in terms

of the transition that certain

places would have to make as a

result of the formula at that time.

And it's been widely recognised that

the way in which that was dealt with

was the right thing to do and Labour

authorities at the time such as

Lancashire did benefit.

Last year

the FSB reported on the untapped

potential of women in enterprise.

However, analysis legal in my

constituency was set up by a group

of female lawyers and is going from

strength to strength. Does the

Minister agree with me that

encouraging more women into business

and supporting female enter preners

is key to the success of the

northern powerhouse --

entrepreneurs?

I absolutely agree

and that's why I am in active

conversation with groups like the

northern power women, they have

sought to find ways to champion

diverse role models of leadership.

After all we shouldn't ignore 51% of

the talent pool.

It was stated the

introduction of family hubs should

be accelerated earlier. This was

implicitly welcomed by the Minister

for local Government stating it was

down to councils to use budgets as

they appropriate. However does he

agree that the 60% real term cut in

Warwickshire to children centres

budget and the planned reduction

from 39 children centres to 12

family hubs should be stopped and

council reserves which are

significant used to the maintain...

Sorry. I should - to be fair, new

members often are not as aware of

this as they will become and need to

be, but topical questions are

supposed to be shorter than

substantives. Simple as that.

Ministers are supposed to respond in

kind. But thank you to the

honourable gentleman.

Thank you. I

hear what the honourable gentleman

says. Although I think he should

look back to the record of

Warwickshire County Council which

clearly show a motion being put

which was seconded by the Labour

group leader who actually advocated

the reduction in funding that the

County Council is now making in this

area.

Can the Secretary of State

confirm that his department is

liaising with Defra to ensure ports

have the infrastructure and supply

chain to take advantage of the

opportunities arising from the

forthcoming fisheries bill.

I can

absolutely confirm that to my

honourable friend. We are working

very closely with Defra and the

transport department to make sure of

just that.

Would the First Minister

of Wales meeting the Prime Minister

today, continuing lack of clarity

over Brexit, can the Secretary of

State reassure me that the

Government will respect the devolved

nations and regions of the UK and

not use Brexit as an opportunity for

power grab?

I can tell the honourable gentleman

of course we will respect the powers

and responsibilities of the devolved

nations and we will make a

resounding success of Brexit.

The

proposed housing formula will add

extra homes to the target of 30,000

which I believe is unsustainable and

undeliverable without large

investment in infrastructure. Will

my honourable friend agree to meet

with me and Medway colleagues to

look at this disproportionate burden

on Medway towns?

Of course I will meet with my

honourable friend. I should point

out that Medway doesn't have an up

to date plan in place at the moment.

I would encourage them to respond to

the consultation proposals that were

set out.

In light of the recent announcements

of the Welsh Government to continue

with its council tax reduction

scheme, which incidentally has

reduced council tax for almost

300,000 low income and vulnerable

families, and excluded 220,000

completely, can the Minister

seriously consider the excellent

approach by the Welsh Labour

Government and the situation in

England where households are paying

around £190 more?

As I explained to

the House earlier, the local council

tax support scheme actually gives

help to over four million people who

are on low incomes and may struggle

otherwise to pay their council tax.

The Secretary of State will be aware

of concerns expressed about the

letter received about money going

back to the NHS rather sthan

sticking with the social care

authority about delayed transfers of

power. Could he comment and

suggestion discussions.

I can tell my honourable friend she

is right to raise this. Delayed

transfer care is shared between

councils and there has been

progress. It is in fact a good

opportunity to improve

Leicestershire on its improving

position.

-- commend Leicestershire

on its improving position.

Your

question is potentially of greater

importance. Clive Lewis, get there,

man.

Will the Government commit to

fast tracking its Private

consultation sessions all landlords

are required to use their own funds

up to band E by April next?

It would

have been done under the previous

Government is Labour had taken their

rented sector more seriously, so I

am pleased he welcomes our

consultation.

Given the

understandable postponement for a

short time of the business rate

retention scheme, will the secretary

consider the particular funding that

changing demography is placing an

particular London boroughs?

Yes.

Scotland secured 941 million euros

in the 2014 funding period. What

plans does this Government have to

ensure that these funds are replaced

post Brexit and that the Scottish

Government will be involved in

discussions?

The honourable

gentleman will know that we have set

out that there will be a UK Shared

Prosperity Fund that will eventually

replace the EU structural funds, and

we will work together with the

devolved nations in developing it.

One thing that would help to drive

further economic growth in Corby is

a new enterprise zone, so in advance

of the budget will my right

honourable friend make the case to

the Chancellor for another round of

bidding opportunities?

My honourable

friend is right to raise the

importance of enterprise zones. He

will know in previous budgets often

they have been announced, and I am

sure he has made an excellent case

himself, but if I can help I will

happily do that.

Is the Secretary of

State aware of the increasing number

of people illegally subletting in

social housing? Isn't this a very

dangerous tendency when we don't

actually know who is living in a

house?

The honourable gentleman is

right to raise this. Of course this

is going on, and that is why we have

given from April this year, we have

given landlords more power to deal

with this, more funding to look at

these issues, and in the forthcoming

reviews and consultation we set out

we will be seen what further action

we can take.

Last week developers

build-out of our plan to build

10,000 homes in Enfield Haringey

because of the interference by the

Mayor of London. Will my right

honourable friend undertake to look

at this plan, because we desperately

need new homes in London, and this

plan seems to provide them?

We have

already just heard in this House the

failure of the mayor of London to

provide a single property for social

rent