0:00:07 > 0:00:11Hello and welcome to BBC Parliament's live coverage of the
0:00:11 > 0:00:15House of Commons, there will be two urgent questions, the first on hate
0:00:15 > 0:00:18crime following letters calling for punish a Muslim day and the second
0:00:18 > 0:00:23on the treatment of House of Commons staff after accusations against the
0:00:23 > 0:00:26speaker and several MPs of bullying behaviour and then the Prime
0:00:26 > 0:00:29Minister will make a statement on the no of agent attack on the former
0:00:29 > 0:00:34Russian spy Sergei Skripal -- nerve agent. And his daughter in
0:00:34 > 0:00:39Salisbury. Karen Bradley will make a statement on a new budget in
0:00:39 > 0:00:44Northern Ireland including £410 million of the package go shaded by
0:00:44 > 0:00:47the DUP in return for backing the Conservative government --
0:00:47 > 0:00:53negotiated. Liam Fox will made a statement on the tariffs on steel
0:00:53 > 0:01:02and imported aluminium announced by the US president Donald Trump. And
0:01:02 > 0:01:05the main business this evening will be the remaining stages of the
0:01:05 > 0:01:11financial guidance and claims Bill, so remember to join me for a
0:01:11 > 0:01:15round-up of the day in both Houses of Parliament tonight at 11 o'clock
0:01:15 > 0:01:18but first we have questions to the Secretary of State for housing
0:01:18 > 0:01:22communities and local government Sajid Javid and his team of
0:01:22 > 0:01:33ministers.... The ending homelessness parliamentary group has
0:01:33 > 0:01:38taken evidence around the success of rapid rehousing models in Denmark,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41what consideration has my right honourable friend given to the
0:01:41 > 0:01:44merits of rolling out such programmes alongside faster and
0:01:44 > 0:01:50wider roll-out of housing first in England?Mr speaker, can I pay
0:01:50 > 0:01:54tribute to my friend for the role he has played as the co-chair of the
0:01:54 > 0:01:59ending homelessness APPG and he is right to point to international
0:01:59 > 0:02:04experience, when we look at this huge challenge we face in our
0:02:04 > 0:02:07country, and housing first has come from the experience we have
0:02:07 > 0:02:13especially in Finland and I thank him for his support.Lucy Powell.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16The rising level of homelessness in Manchester is the biggest issue that
0:02:16 > 0:02:22people raise with me on the doorstep and elsewhere and it doesn't matter
0:02:22 > 0:02:26all the good work that we are doing in rehousing people, there are too
0:02:26 > 0:02:30many people coming through the system it at the other rental but so
0:02:30 > 0:02:35what conversations is the Secretary of State having about stopping
0:02:35 > 0:02:44people becoming homeless in the first place? -- at the other end.
0:02:44 > 0:02:48The honourable lady is right to raise this issue and it comes up in
0:02:48 > 0:02:52Manchester as well as so many other parts of the country and she is
0:02:52 > 0:02:56right to point to the cross department work that is required
0:02:56 > 0:02:59including the DWP and other departments, like the Ministry of
0:02:59 > 0:03:03Justice, with the number of offenders that end up on the
0:03:03 > 0:03:05streets, so it is being co-ordinated and the task force that the Prime
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Minister has created is helping to achieve just that.Michael
0:03:08 > 0:03:21fabricant.Does my right honourable friend a agreed with the causes of
0:03:21 > 0:03:25homelessness on the street is not just a lack of housing, it is very
0:03:25 > 0:03:28complex, and will he take the opportunity of going to the West
0:03:28 > 0:03:34Midlands and visiting the mayor of the West Midlands Mr and the street
0:03:34 > 0:03:41and see the work and initiatives that he is undertaking to prevent
0:03:41 > 0:03:50this problem?I agree with you for the what has been spoken about is
0:03:50 > 0:03:53important regarding the complex causes of rough sleeping and
0:03:53 > 0:03:56homelessness, and the mayor of the West Midlands has led the way on
0:03:56 > 0:04:00this including with the housing first project.Exeter has suffered a
0:04:00 > 0:04:03terrible increase in homelessness and rough sleeping since 2010
0:04:03 > 0:04:07although in the last couple of years strenuous efforts have seen a
0:04:07 > 0:04:12reduction in the last two years in the sleeping but will he and
0:04:12 > 0:04:15government colleagues look at the decisions to cut supported living
0:04:15 > 0:04:19and public health grants to local bodies that find alcohol and drug
0:04:19 > 0:04:22treatment programmes because that is hampering local authorities attempts
0:04:22 > 0:04:28to tackle this problem?I'm happy to join the right honourable gentleman
0:04:28 > 0:04:32in commending the work in Exeter that they have done we should try to
0:04:32 > 0:04:40learn from each other and from councils. In terms of the causes,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43addiction, especially drug addiction and alcohol addiction, it is
0:04:43 > 0:04:47important that we keep up finding where ever it is necessary and that
0:04:47 > 0:04:51is why we are providing £1 billion of total funding until 2020
0:04:51 > 0:04:54including a number of projects which are designed to help specifically
0:04:54 > 0:05:00with addictive problems.1% of rough sleepers in London are non-UK
0:05:00 > 0:05:06citizens, what can we do about the importation of homelessness?My
0:05:06 > 0:05:12friend is again right to point to the causes of homelessness and there
0:05:12 > 0:05:16are a number of people that sleep on the streets that are not from the UK
0:05:16 > 0:05:19and everyone deserves help but we must also look carefully at the
0:05:19 > 0:05:22causes of homelessness so we are working carefully and closely with
0:05:22 > 0:05:28the Home Office to see what more we can do.LGBT young people are much
0:05:28 > 0:05:32more likely to become homeless and account for up to 24% of the young
0:05:32 > 0:05:37jobless population, according to the Albert Kennedy trust, what is the
0:05:37 > 0:05:43Secretary of State going to do to address this problem?I agree is
0:05:43 > 0:05:46that anyone that is homeless and especially anyone that is rough
0:05:46 > 0:05:52sleeping deserves our help, the help of government and local government,
0:05:52 > 0:05:56and that is why the number of projects that we have in place, over
0:05:56 > 0:05:5948 different types of projects many of them community led and many of
0:05:59 > 0:06:05them funding directly by the government are designed to achieve
0:06:05 > 0:06:11that.The last official survey in Cheltenham Festival nine homeless
0:06:11 > 0:06:18people and each is a living rebuke for us to do more -- in Cheltenham
0:06:18 > 0:06:23found nine homeless people. The £1 million homeless impact bond should
0:06:23 > 0:06:30be used to provide one-to-one support.Yes, and can I commend the
0:06:30 > 0:06:35charity for the rugged as Dan and I know you have a lot of interest in
0:06:35 > 0:06:41that -- the work it has done. The government has funded aid social
0:06:41 > 0:06:42impact bombs including the one
0:06:45 > 0:06:55-- the government has funded eight social impact bonds.It has been
0:06:55 > 0:07:00praised by charities taking a step in the right direction and that
0:07:00 > 0:07:04includes a £50 million fund, what do ministers think of the work that is
0:07:04 > 0:07:08going on in Scotland and will they look at the recommendations made by
0:07:08 > 0:07:14the working group?Again, you rightly emphasise the point of
0:07:14 > 0:07:18learning from each other, and where Scotland has had success with
0:07:18 > 0:07:22homelessness and rough sleeping we should look into that and seek other
0:07:22 > 0:07:28examples in the UK and my honourable friend the housing minister is
0:07:28 > 0:07:30visiting Scotland and will be looking at that issue later this
0:07:30 > 0:07:38week. One of the best ways the government can support homeowners
0:07:38 > 0:07:42with mortgage costs is by making sure the economy remains strong and
0:07:42 > 0:07:45competitive so that employment is high and interest rates as low as
0:07:45 > 0:07:50possible.At the end of this month the government is taking away
0:07:50 > 0:07:55mortgage support from 110,000 people and there will be 7000 so far who
0:07:55 > 0:07:59have applied for the loan which replaces it, what does the
0:07:59 > 0:08:03government think the other 100,000 people are going to do on the 2nd of
0:08:03 > 0:08:09April?The honourable gentleman is referring to the support for
0:08:09 > 0:08:14mortgage interest policy which is a DWP lead and the government is right
0:08:14 > 0:08:18to strike the right balance between the needs of hard-pressed homeowners
0:08:18 > 0:08:22and the taxpayer but if you are really interested in helping
0:08:22 > 0:08:28homeowners, maybe you can explain why he voted against the stamp duty
0:08:28 > 0:08:35cut that this government implemented.The withdrawal support
0:08:35 > 0:08:40from mortgage interest came as a blow to my constituents who came to
0:08:40 > 0:08:43see me on Friday and many thousands like them will struggle with this
0:08:43 > 0:08:48support withdrawn and they may not wish to take up an additional loan,
0:08:48 > 0:08:51can he explain what options will be open to these people and what
0:08:51 > 0:08:55assessment has he done of the impact for people on the home they have
0:08:55 > 0:09:06brought? And the impact on social housing lists which --?I think the
0:09:06 > 0:09:11honourable lady misunderstands the policy, the government is not
0:09:11 > 0:09:13withdrawing support, the government is making it fairer and making sure
0:09:13 > 0:09:18support is still available, it will be land-based, secured by the
0:09:18 > 0:09:22individual's property but that also protects the rights of taxpayers
0:09:22 > 0:09:33which I think you would have been interested in doing.The help to buy
0:09:33 > 0:09:36scheme helped 116,001st-time buyers get onto the property ladder and
0:09:36 > 0:09:45it's similar to the supply of new housing.Some of my constituents
0:09:45 > 0:09:48have been on the wrong end of aggressive behaviour by personnel,
0:09:48 > 0:09:53and they are concerned that the biggest concern for house-builders
0:09:53 > 0:09:58is that they have increased as prizes by 10% with almost all of
0:09:58 > 0:10:06this bag as profit and much of it paid out to senior -- increased
0:10:06 > 0:10:12prices by 10% with almost all of this bag.Should they not be doing
0:10:12 > 0:10:15more to consign the aggressive behaviour of companies like this? --
0:10:15 > 0:10:21contain.It is good news that help to bite helped to get more homes
0:10:21 > 0:10:28built and it has contributed 15%. I have concerns, but I remind the
0:10:28 > 0:10:31gentleman that it was this government that introduced the
0:10:31 > 0:10:36corporate government reforms including to make sure there is
0:10:36 > 0:10:43greater transparency and greater shareholder grip over directors pay.
0:10:43 > 0:10:47The minister will know that some 10% of those on the help to buy scheme
0:10:47 > 0:10:53earn over £80,000 EU and even in London, people can afford to buy
0:10:53 > 0:10:59without this tax subsidy, can he contrast the Secretary of State's
0:10:59 > 0:11:02comments about taxpayer responsibility with respect to the
0:11:02 > 0:11:07poorest homeowners who will lose mortgage entrance and these heavily
0:11:07 > 0:11:11subsidised well off people up and down the country?Some factual
0:11:11 > 0:11:16clarification would help, because four out of five of those benefiting
0:11:16 > 0:11:19from help to buy have been first-time buyers and three out of
0:11:19 > 0:11:25five households benefiting from help to buy had combined incomes of
0:11:25 > 0:11:29£50,000 or less, we are on their side, it is a shame the Labour Party
0:11:29 > 0:11:38is not.Tracy Brabin.Number five, Mr minister.In addition to the
0:11:38 > 0:11:42spending review package the government provided a further £2
0:11:42 > 0:11:47billion for adult social care at the last budget and an additional £150
0:11:47 > 0:11:50million in the local government finance settlement and councils will
0:11:50 > 0:11:54now be able to increase spending on adult social care in real terms each
0:11:54 > 0:12:02year until 2020.Tracy Brabin. Kirklees Council spends 35% of its
0:12:02 > 0:12:08budget on adult social care and it has just raised council tax to 6%
0:12:08 > 0:12:12and half of that is ring-fenced to find social care but the council
0:12:12 > 0:12:17still has tens of millions left to cut in the years ahead, so ahead of
0:12:17 > 0:12:20tomorrow's Spring statement can be ministers say what he has done to
0:12:20 > 0:12:24secure more funding from the Treasury for social care, to
0:12:24 > 0:12:29alleviate the pressure on councils like Kirklees?
0:12:29 > 0:12:33Mr Speaker, in the most recent government finance settlement the
0:12:33 > 0:12:35Secretary of State listened to concerns from the council and
0:12:35 > 0:12:41increased funding for social care, £150 million in adult social care,
0:12:41 > 0:12:45£26 million for Kirklees council in particular, and I recently met with
0:12:45 > 0:12:48the key cities group of which Kirklees is a member to discuss
0:12:48 > 0:12:53their ideas for reforming the funding formula for councils like
0:12:53 > 0:13:00Kirklees.Thank you, Mr Speaker. When the Select Committee adopted my
0:13:00 > 0:13:04honourable friend's Homelessness Reduction Bill, ministers to their
0:13:04 > 0:13:07credit engaged positively to make the Bill work. Can I urge the
0:13:07 > 0:13:11Minister to be just as positive about the planned Joint Committee
0:13:11 > 0:13:15inquiry into funding adult care, indeed, Mr Speaker, both front
0:13:15 > 0:13:18benches need to engage in this process if we are to have a
0:13:18 > 0:13:23long-term answer. I thank my honourable friend for the
0:13:23 > 0:13:26question and wholeheartedly agree with him, as he knows the government
0:13:26 > 0:13:29is committed to publishing the green paper on adult social care the
0:13:29 > 0:13:33summer alongside which there is a work stream regarding working age
0:13:33 > 0:13:37adults social care which I am sure he will be keen to contribute to as
0:13:37 > 0:13:41well.Bridget Phillipson.Increasing the social care precept will do
0:13:41 > 0:13:46nothing to solve the challenge we face in social care. Isn't it time
0:13:46 > 0:13:49that Minister stopped passing the buck to local councils and instead
0:13:49 > 0:13:53worked with us to find a long-term solution to one of the greatest
0:13:53 > 0:14:01challenges we face as a country?Mr Speaker, I agree with the Honourable
0:14:01 > 0:14:03Lady that there is a challenge facing our country and it's
0:14:03 > 0:14:08important to get it right and put sustainable -- social care on a
0:14:08 > 0:14:11sustainable footing not just this year but in years to come and that's
0:14:11 > 0:14:13where the government is committing to its Green paper to tackle the
0:14:13 > 0:14:20problem and she should look forward to its contents this summer.Thank
0:14:20 > 0:14:22you, Mr Speaker. The Minister referred to the local government
0:14:22 > 0:14:27finance settlement but this year's settlement still needs done at means
0:14:27 > 0:14:32a cut of £177 million on adult social care from last year. Given
0:14:32 > 0:14:36the NEO's report states more and more councils are only just managing
0:14:36 > 0:14:40to balance their books by using their reserves to cover overspends
0:14:40 > 0:14:45on Solskjaer says services, how does the minister suggest they can avoid
0:14:45 > 0:14:46declaring themselves effectively bankrupt like Northamptonshire
0:14:46 > 0:14:51County Council did last month, and their reserves in many cases will be
0:14:51 > 0:14:59gone by 2020.I Susie Dent recognise those figures. The government has
0:14:59 > 0:15:04increased funding for adult social care, of which over these three
0:15:04 > 0:15:12years £9.4 billion in adult social care, 150 more at the local her and
0:15:12 > 0:15:14finance settlement and this government is listening to councils
0:15:14 > 0:15:20and delivering extra resources to help.The local government Finance
0:15:20 > 0:15:24Act passed in the 2010 Parliament divorced local government funding
0:15:24 > 0:15:31from any assessment of need. The Government's insistence that raising
0:15:31 > 0:15:36precepts by councils can solve the problem is simply wrong, because it
0:15:36 > 0:15:39ensures that those councils in the wealthier areas with most properties
0:15:39 > 0:15:45in the higher bands raise more money than those in the lower bands who
0:15:45 > 0:15:51usually have the greatest need, the greatest long-term De -- diseases
0:15:51 > 0:15:55and so on. When will the Minister understand this and start allocating
0:15:55 > 0:16:01social services funding on the basis of need?Mr Speaker, I can reassure
0:16:01 > 0:16:04the Honourable Lady that the allocation for social care funding
0:16:04 > 0:16:08does take into account the relative council tax bases of local
0:16:08 > 0:16:11authorities across the country, that said, I appreciate the funding
0:16:11 > 0:16:15formula is out of date and needs review, which is why we have
0:16:15 > 0:16:19launched a consultation on reforming it. It closes today and I welcome
0:16:19 > 0:16:24her comments and input into that. We will reform it to adequately take
0:16:24 > 0:16:30care of need as she suggests.David Warburton.Number six, Mr Speaker.
0:16:30 > 0:16:37The number of first-time buyers was at an 11 year high in 2017, 306 to
0:16:37 > 0:16:405000 across the UK showing that our concerted action to get more people
0:16:40 > 0:16:43into home ownership through initiatives such as Help To Buy and
0:16:43 > 0:16:48stamp duty exemption for first-time buyers is working -- 365,000.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52It sounds that my Right Honourable friend agrees with me that home
0:16:52 > 0:16:57ownership is a fundamentally good thing, 86% of fellow citizens aspire
0:16:57 > 0:17:00to it and there is nothing like spreading the economic benefits of
0:17:00 > 0:17:03homeownership more widely in society so does my Right Honourable friend
0:17:03 > 0:17:07further agree we should use every policy lever at our disposal to
0:17:07 > 0:17:10encourage homeownership and give those all-important first-time
0:17:10 > 0:17:15buyers a leg up onto the ladder?Mr Speaker, I couldn't agree more with
0:17:15 > 0:17:19my honourable friend. The overwhelming majority of people want
0:17:19 > 0:17:24to own their own home and we do need to do more to help them do just
0:17:24 > 0:17:28that. Are plans that we have set out, including earlier this week to
0:17:28 > 0:17:31build 300,000 homes in the year will help normal people realise that
0:17:31 > 0:17:38dream.Mr Speaker, why doesn't the Home Secretary wake up on this? So
0:17:38 > 0:17:41many people in my constituency and throughout the country, this is a
0:17:41 > 0:17:46government that has failed delivering enough houses, enough
0:17:46 > 0:17:51houses to buy, enough to rent, and the fact is he has got so many
0:17:51 > 0:17:54NIMBYs, he's speaking to one of them, so many NIMBYs on that side
0:17:54 > 0:18:01they haven't got the courage to do anything about it.Mr Speaker, its
0:18:01 > 0:18:05members on the side of the House that are responsible for seeing
0:18:05 > 0:18:09house-building last year reached its highest level in all but one of the
0:18:09 > 0:18:14last 30 years. It is members on that side of the House who have supported
0:18:14 > 0:18:18the previous government and a party that led to the lowest number of
0:18:18 > 0:18:24house-building that this country has seen since the 1920s.David Davies.
0:18:24 > 0:18:31Seven, Mr Speaker.With your permission, Mr Speaker, I'd like to
0:18:31 > 0:18:36answer this question together with 16. Last year we saw 217,000 homes
0:18:36 > 0:18:40added to housing stock in England and as we have set out a bold,
0:18:40 > 0:18:44comprehensive reform we want to see 300,000 homes a year on average
0:18:44 > 0:18:53delivered by the middle of the 2020s in England through last week's draft
0:18:53 > 0:18:54revised National Planning Policy Framework.May I congratulate my
0:18:54 > 0:18:57Right Honourable friend on the enormous progress he is making.
0:18:57 > 0:19:01Would he agree with me that it will not be possible to get the housing
0:19:01 > 0:19:04shortage completely under control until we have brought down migration
0:19:04 > 0:19:07levels from the unsustainable heights that were created by
0:19:07 > 0:19:13honourable member is on the other side of this House?Mr Speaker, mime
0:19:13 > 0:19:16honourable friend will be pleased to hear we are committed to both
0:19:16 > 0:19:21reducing net migration to sustainable levels and building the
0:19:21 > 0:19:27homes that this country needs.Lucy Allan.Thank you, Mr Speaker.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30Telford is a rapidly growing new town where thousands of new homes
0:19:30 > 0:19:34are built every year but for too many new-build homeowners the
0:19:34 > 0:19:39reality is unfinished communal areas, unadopted roads, failure to
0:19:39 > 0:19:42comply with section 106 and developers failing to take
0:19:42 > 0:19:46responsibility. And the local council passing the buck. What will
0:19:46 > 0:19:50the Minister do to strengthen the rights of new-build homeowners?Mr
0:19:50 > 0:19:56Speaker, first let me commend my honourable friend for the work she
0:19:56 > 0:20:00does through the new towns APG and she is right emphasised the need for
0:20:00 > 0:20:05infrastructure alongside new housing. I know that she welcomes a
0:20:05 > 0:20:08housing infrastructure fund but in terms of holding developers to their
0:20:08 > 0:20:10commitments, I hope she will contribute to our consultation
0:20:10 > 0:20:16launched this week on that topic. Rachael Maskell.Thank you, Mr
0:20:16 > 0:20:20Speaker. I have the figures for York, no new social housing
0:20:20 > 0:20:22commissions under the current council for the last three years
0:20:22 > 0:20:25except for older people's accommodation where there has been a
0:20:25 > 0:20:32net loss and Right To Buy has made things worse so under his new
0:20:32 > 0:20:34Government's planning framework will the council be forced to build
0:20:34 > 0:20:39social housing in your?Mr Speaker, we are working with councils
0:20:39 > 0:20:44throughout the country to help them to meet their housing needs, and
0:20:44 > 0:20:47that includes more social housing where it is required, and proof of
0:20:47 > 0:20:52that was just in the last budget when we increased the housing
0:20:52 > 0:20:56revenue account, the amount that councils can borrow from the
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Treasury to build more council homes and other types of social housing,
0:20:59 > 0:21:03we increased it and if York wants to take advantage of it it can.Bristol
0:21:03 > 0:21:08has the highest number of office accommodation to residential
0:21:08 > 0:21:12accommodation outside London. Under the permitted development rights
0:21:12 > 0:21:16scheme that means there does not have to be any affordable housing
0:21:16 > 0:21:19element. What is the Secretary of State doing to ensure councils like
0:21:19 > 0:21:22Bristol and insist there is affordable housing built in our city
0:21:22 > 0:21:28centre?Mr Speaker, the Honourable Lady is right to raise the
0:21:28 > 0:21:31importance of affordable housing, having the right mix of housing
0:21:31 > 0:21:35everywhere including in Bristol where we are currently working with
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Bristol with both the mayor of West England and the mayor of Bristol on
0:21:38 > 0:21:43a housing deal and it would include, if it happens, a significant portion
0:21:43 > 0:21:48of affordable housing.Thank you, Mr Speaker. Green belt protections
0:21:48 > 0:21:51around Bristol and Bath are displacing housing targets beyond
0:21:51 > 0:21:55the green belt into Somerset. Should the council is unable to build
0:21:55 > 0:21:59enough houses be required to deliver transport and infrastructure plans
0:21:59 > 0:22:02to service the commuting needs of new Somerset residents who need to
0:22:02 > 0:22:07travel through the protected green belt on their way to work?Mr
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Speaker, we want to help all councils meet their local housing
0:22:10 > 0:22:14need and that means including helping with their plans as they
0:22:14 > 0:22:17develop them but also giving them more options other than looking at a
0:22:17 > 0:22:21green belt, as we did in the recent planning draft plan published
0:22:21 > 0:22:26earlier this week, and also helping with infrastructure, and that means
0:22:26 > 0:22:31the £5 billion housing infrastructure fund.Helen Hayes.
0:22:31 > 0:22:33Thank you, Mr Speaker. The previous Conservative Mayor of London said at
0:22:33 > 0:22:36the London Housing bank, a loan scheme so restrictive housing
0:22:36 > 0:22:40providers couldn't borrow from it. Can the Secretary of State explain
0:22:40 > 0:22:42why instead of responding to requests from the current Mayor of
0:22:42 > 0:22:46London over the past 18 months to remove some of the restrictions on
0:22:46 > 0:22:49this scheme to enable much-needed affordable homes to be built, he
0:22:49 > 0:22:53decided to withdraw the funding for affordable homes altogether, and can
0:22:53 > 0:22:59he explain how it's the case that the first the Mayors office heard
0:22:59 > 0:23:04about this was an article in the Huffington Post?We all want to see
0:23:04 > 0:23:07more affordable homes, including in our capital city, and that's why the
0:23:07 > 0:23:12settlement over £3 billion in the Spring Budget given to London for
0:23:12 > 0:23:16affordable housing is the biggest ever, welcomed by the mayor, but
0:23:16 > 0:23:20despite that we have seen a fall in affordable housing delivery under
0:23:20 > 0:23:24Saddiq Khan.It's not acceptable and he needs to do much better.Nicky
0:23:24 > 0:23:31Morgan.Question number eight.Last week the government published the
0:23:31 > 0:23:33National policy framework for consultation and through clearer
0:23:33 > 0:23:39guidance to councils and developers it will help develop, deliver more
0:23:39 > 0:23:43homes and more quickly.Thank you for the answer. For the sake of
0:23:43 > 0:23:47disclosure I should say my husband is the leader, or they refuse to
0:23:47 > 0:23:54call them that, planning permissions for ten years worth of housing, but
0:23:54 > 0:23:58the difficulty is trying to get the developers to start the building. If
0:23:58 > 0:24:01that doesn't happen it affects the five-year land supply leaving other
0:24:01 > 0:24:05sites vulnerable to develop and. Can the Minister tell the House what the
0:24:05 > 0:24:08government plans to do to speed up delivery by developers for planning
0:24:08 > 0:24:13permission is they already have?I thank my Right Honourable friend.
0:24:13 > 0:24:18The good news is in 2017 she saw 160,000 new homes registered to be
0:24:18 > 0:24:22built, the highest number since the financial crash, and she is right
0:24:22 > 0:24:25about speed, the NPPF will help deliver that through the housing
0:24:25 > 0:24:28delivery test and my Right Honourable friend the member for
0:24:28 > 0:24:32Dorset West is reviewing build-out rates.I have no wish to be unkind
0:24:32 > 0:24:36to the honourable member, the lady for Bath, let me put it this way, we
0:24:36 > 0:24:46have had a dose from Bath but by long-standing convention the member
0:24:46 > 0:24:48isn't called twice on substantive questions so the Honourable Lady
0:24:48 > 0:24:51seeks to catch my eye on the double core question she may be successful.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54I admire her persistence but I hope she understands that's the way we
0:24:54 > 0:24:57operate -- on a topical question. She's not greedy, she's just keen!
0:24:57 > 0:25:04John Mann.Questioned nine, Mr Speaker.In nearly all cases it is
0:25:04 > 0:25:07for local authorities to take the final decision on a local plan. In
0:25:07 > 0:25:10the last two years 50 local plans were deemed sound by planning
0:25:10 > 0:25:15inspectors and won by the ministry itself.But, Mr Speaker, looking at
0:25:15 > 0:25:20the consultation from last week whereby neighbourhood plans are
0:25:20 > 0:25:23according to the government a bit able to be overturned by local
0:25:23 > 0:25:30councils above them. And local council plans above them, by the
0:25:30 > 0:25:35Secretary of State and his faceless bureaucrats. What is wrong in this
0:25:35 > 0:25:41country with freedom and democracy of local people making the decisions
0:25:41 > 0:25:46effectively and fairly and democratically? Is this Josef
0:25:46 > 0:25:49Stalin, or is this English democracy that this government is forcing upon
0:25:49 > 0:25:59us?Mr Speaker, for the thunder and lightning we are investing £23
0:25:59 > 0:26:02million to support neighbourhood planning groups and I would gently
0:26:02 > 0:26:06remind the honourable gentleman that 94% of councils have published local
0:26:06 > 0:26:10plans compared to 32% when Labor last left office, the last Labour
0:26:10 > 0:26:13government wantonly failed to deliver in encouraging they take-up
0:26:13 > 0:26:19of local plans where this government has succeeded.Mr Speaker, talking
0:26:19 > 0:26:23of planning ahead, two councils in Somerset, Taunton Deane and West
0:26:23 > 0:26:28Somerset, are waiting to form a civil council. They have had major
0:26:28 > 0:26:31savings by joint sharing already, but now they really need to know if
0:26:31 > 0:26:36they can form one authority, and I wonder if my Right Honourable friend
0:26:36 > 0:26:44might update me on the process and the progress of it.I thank my
0:26:44 > 0:26:47honourable friend. This is under imminent review. The Secretary of
0:26:47 > 0:26:49State is giving his personal attention and there will be a
0:26:49 > 0:26:55decision taken on it shortly.Thank you, Mr Speaker. Last week I
0:26:55 > 0:27:01attended a meeting of the Eden Park residents Association as part of the
0:27:01 > 0:27:04conversation on Stoke-on-Trent's joint local plan as they are aghast
0:27:04 > 0:27:08at proposals to bring forward the greenfield site of Berryhill fields
0:27:08 > 0:27:11while brownfield sites are left unlocked at. What can the Minister
0:27:11 > 0:27:14say to them to make sure that they know that when it comes to looking
0:27:14 > 0:27:18for new housing developer and sites that brownfield sites will always be
0:27:18 > 0:27:23chosen over greenfield sites?I thank the honourable gentleman. He
0:27:23 > 0:27:26is right and we have reinforced the focus on Brownfield first and also
0:27:26 > 0:27:30looking for extra density where it can be provided through the National
0:27:30 > 0:27:32Planning Policy Framework and I look forward to his supportive comments
0:27:32 > 0:27:35during consultation.
0:27:35 > 0:27:44Stephen Timms.Question ten, Mr speaker.Since 2010 we have
0:27:44 > 0:27:50delivered 357,000 affordable homes including 128,000 homes for social
0:27:50 > 0:27:56rent and the government is providing £9 billion of affordable housing and
0:27:56 > 0:28:02a 1 billion HR revenue certainty and these measures will support social
0:28:02 > 0:28:09landlords to build more social homes where the need is greatest.The
0:28:09 > 0:28:13number of government funded homes built for social rent fell to 199 in
0:28:13 > 0:28:20the last six months, the lowest numbers since records have been
0:28:20 > 0:28:24kept, isn't it clear that there is an urgent need for a major
0:28:24 > 0:28:29government funded programme of social housing?I know this is an
0:28:29 > 0:28:34issue that the honourable member has championed and it is a badger to do
0:28:34 > 0:28:39business with him. We recognise the critical role supported
0:28:39 > 0:28:45accommodation can play in helping vulnerable people to live
0:28:45 > 0:28:48independently and we have delivered over a thousand units and we have
0:28:48 > 0:28:58plans to increase that on top in the areas that need it most.I thank my
0:28:58 > 0:29:03honourable friend for her answers, Brigitte Abbey has won the
0:29:03 > 0:29:09department is returning money to the Treasury -- but could she explain
0:29:09 > 0:29:13why her department is returning money to the Treasury?Because some
0:29:13 > 0:29:17people seem to be causing mischief over something, this is less than 3%
0:29:17 > 0:29:23of the total budget and the money has been re-profile to come back in
0:29:23 > 0:29:26in future years and when councils and local authorities and housing
0:29:26 > 0:29:32associations can bid in, the money is there to be spent and we wanted
0:29:32 > 0:29:41be spent.Alex Marquez. -- Morris. Building council houses is a prudent
0:29:41 > 0:29:44way to provide houses for social rent but this has been choked off by
0:29:44 > 0:29:48the government by only inching the cap of rather than removing it
0:29:48 > 0:29:56completely. When will they remove it?I don't understand why people
0:29:56 > 0:30:00misunderstand what is going on with local government finance, the most
0:30:00 > 0:30:03serious areas where there are shortages of affordable housing, the
0:30:03 > 0:30:10cat has been lifted to £1 billion borrowing -- the cap. We made local
0:30:10 > 0:30:13authorities to step up and if his local council has projects like mind
0:30:13 > 0:30:16as they will be looked unfavourably, so please ask your local councils to
0:30:16 > 0:30:27step up.Ian Austin.Number 11.I do beg your pardon. Let's get to number
0:30:27 > 0:30:3411. LAUGHTER
0:30:38 > 0:30:47The numbers in the West Midlands have increased, overview from 2016
0:30:47 > 0:30:52-- over the year from 2016 in increased by eight people, I have
0:30:52 > 0:30:57the figures, so don't disagree with me. We have committed to providing
0:30:57 > 0:31:02£20 million of funding to pilot a housing first approach in the three
0:31:02 > 0:31:05major regions which includes the West Midlands combined authority and
0:31:05 > 0:31:07I'm looking forward to working with the mayor of the West Midlands on
0:31:07 > 0:31:14this issue.I think anybody in the West Midlands who hears a ministers
0:31:14 > 0:31:18say that the number of rough sleepers has only increased by eight
0:31:18 > 0:31:25will be absolutely staggered at the complacency from this government.
0:31:25 > 0:31:29The fact is rough sleeping has soared in Birmingham and even in
0:31:29 > 0:31:34towns like Dudley where tragically a homeless man died in a tent in the
0:31:34 > 0:31:41last few weeks, and the Mayor's policy won't see rough sleeping
0:31:41 > 0:31:49abolished until 2027 and we need a much more urgent approach was. I
0:31:49 > 0:31:55would like to see if ministers will agree to a new scheme which can help
0:31:55 > 0:32:03hundreds of people over the last few months.I think that was a really
0:32:03 > 0:32:06good question and it is helpful that we get intelligent questions in this
0:32:06 > 0:32:10chamber because it means that we can give intelligent answers and the
0:32:10 > 0:32:16intelligent answer is the housing first project is about wraparound
0:32:16 > 0:32:23care, £28 million of public money going to help solve this desperate
0:32:23 > 0:32:27problem, the advisory panel is meeting for the third time in
0:32:27 > 0:32:31another two weeks and the task force has already met and it is an urgent
0:32:31 > 0:32:36matter for this government and it will be solved.Diana Johnson.
0:32:36 > 0:32:46Question 12.With permission, I will answer this question together with
0:32:46 > 0:32:48question 19, the 2018-2019 settlement is the third year of a
0:32:48 > 0:32:54four-year deal providing funding certainty and accepted by 97% of
0:32:54 > 0:32:57councils, and it sees a real terms increase in resources to local
0:32:57 > 0:33:01government over the next two years totalling £45.1 billion in the
0:33:01 > 0:33:08forthcoming financial year.Hull is the third most deprived local
0:33:08 > 0:33:10authority in the country and two thirds of residence requires social
0:33:10 > 0:33:16care compared to the national average and we have been losing
0:33:16 > 0:33:19government funding since 2010 by half and we will be getting the
0:33:19 > 0:33:23lowest amount per head of any area in Yorkshire and the Humber Council.
0:33:23 > 0:33:28Having got it so wrong, can the minister now guarantee that Hull
0:33:28 > 0:33:36will get a fair funding settlement? The honourable lady makes comments
0:33:36 > 0:33:39about funding for deprived areas and she will be pleased to know that
0:33:39 > 0:33:44funding per household in her area is higher than the average for unitary
0:33:44 > 0:33:48authorities across the country and in general the most deprived local
0:33:48 > 0:33:53authorities have funding per household 23% higher than the most
0:33:53 > 0:33:57well-off but I can reassure her that we are committed to introducing a
0:33:57 > 0:34:00new fair funding formula and I look forward to hearing her response and
0:34:00 > 0:34:05from her counsel as we develop it. In a letter to the Secretary of
0:34:05 > 0:34:09State last month the Conservative leader of Warwickshire County
0:34:09 > 0:34:14Council stated that in their view, the current funding model for local
0:34:14 > 0:34:22government is unsustainable, is she correct?Mr speaker, I appreciate
0:34:22 > 0:34:25the point about the funding settlement and the Formolo, but he
0:34:25 > 0:34:29will know from his membership of the select committee which I have the
0:34:29 > 0:34:32pleasure to appear before, we are looking very hard at the structure
0:34:32 > 0:34:38of local government financing, increasing the business rates
0:34:38 > 0:34:41retention and also introducing a new needs -based formula which takes
0:34:41 > 0:34:43into account update needs and resources and I know his committee
0:34:43 > 0:34:46will play a huge part in making sure that we get that right for
0:34:46 > 0:34:54Warwickshire and the country.I strongly supported the pressure that
0:34:54 > 0:34:58we have put local authorities under to improve efficiency and I'm sure
0:34:58 > 0:35:01that elsewhere in the country there are examples of where further needs
0:35:01 > 0:35:07to be done but in the South West my impression is that in Devon amply
0:35:07 > 0:35:11met and many other local authorities, right now their
0:35:11 > 0:35:16finances have been cut to the bone and I do think there is an
0:35:16 > 0:35:20opportunity for the government to be more generous with efficient local
0:35:20 > 0:35:22authorities in the south-west to enable them to make sure their
0:35:22 > 0:35:30priorities are delivered -- Devon and Cornwall and Plymouth.I pay
0:35:30 > 0:35:35tribute to local authorities across the country, they have done a
0:35:35 > 0:35:38commendable job of providing high quality services in a difficult
0:35:38 > 0:35:42climate and I thank them, and I look forward to the representations from
0:35:42 > 0:35:44Devon and the south-west as we
0:35:44 > 0:35:46reform local government and financing through the fair funding
0:35:46 > 0:35:52formula.David Lammy.On the 4th of July the Secretary of State said to
0:35:52 > 0:35:57the house that he would help with every precaution local authorities
0:35:57 > 0:35:59dealing with the cladding problem across our country following the
0:35:59 > 0:36:06Grenfell Tower fire. Why is it despite over 40 run local
0:36:06 > 0:36:12authorities asking for that help and the Department given £117 million
0:36:12 > 0:36:17back to the Treasury, has he not been able to find the money to help
0:36:17 > 0:36:25those poor people in those buildings worried as we speak?Mr speaker, the
0:36:25 > 0:36:28department is in discussions with multiple local authorities about the
0:36:28 > 0:36:31requirements to improve the safety of buildings and we understand the
0:36:31 > 0:36:35Department has not said no to any local authority that is far which is
0:36:35 > 0:36:41seeking flexibility with those plans.My own counsel in Derbyshire
0:36:41 > 0:36:44has seen an hundred £80 million over half of their budget cut in the last
0:36:44 > 0:36:52seven years -- my own counsel in Derbyshire has seen £180 million,
0:36:52 > 0:36:58over half their budget cut in the last seven years. What will be
0:36:58 > 0:37:02minister do to make sure that the council's receives the proper
0:37:02 > 0:37:06funding they need to free up hospital beds and support families
0:37:06 > 0:37:12in the most urgent need?As we have discussed the government has put
0:37:12 > 0:37:17extra resources into social care and it is pleasing to see that over the
0:37:17 > 0:37:23past year delayed transfers of care across England have fallen 34%,
0:37:23 > 0:37:25showing that the resources putting in our making a difference on the
0:37:25 > 0:37:32ground.Since 2010 Hull City Council have been forced to cut their
0:37:32 > 0:37:37children's services budget by £37.2 million and this has meant they have
0:37:37 > 0:37:41not had the money they have needed for the early intervention support
0:37:41 > 0:37:44for families and it is no surprise that the number of looked after
0:37:44 > 0:37:53children in Hull has increased by 140, 140 lives changed for ever,
0:37:53 > 0:37:57will the minister please give authorities like Hull more money so
0:37:57 > 0:38:00they can give those families support when they need it before the
0:38:00 > 0:38:07families enter crisis?The honourable lady is right to
0:38:07 > 0:38:09highlight the important work that prevention plays no one wants to a
0:38:09 > 0:38:15child in need. That is why this government has committed almost £1
0:38:15 > 0:38:17billion to the troubled families programme over this period in the
0:38:17 > 0:38:26spending review which as recent results have shown has reduced the
0:38:26 > 0:38:27Children In Need.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35Last week the respected audit office published a report on the financial
0:38:35 > 0:38:38sustainability of local authorities and it laid clear the significant
0:38:38 > 0:38:45challenges faced by councils and the vital services they deliver, can the
0:38:45 > 0:38:48Secretary of State prove he is on the side of local councils and place
0:38:48 > 0:38:52in the House of Commons library any submissions he has made to the
0:38:52 > 0:38:57Chancellor ahead of the Spring Budget?I also read the National
0:38:57 > 0:39:02Audit Office report with interest and I was pleased to see it made
0:39:02 > 0:39:05very positive comments about the Department's work in getting to
0:39:05 > 0:39:09grips with the challenges across local government making sure the
0:39:09 > 0:39:11sector is properly resourced and looks forward to the reviews that
0:39:11 > 0:39:16are being put in place to improve funding and business rates retention
0:39:16 > 0:39:24in the way forward. The government is committed to delivering a new
0:39:24 > 0:39:27generation of council homes we are providing local authorities with the
0:39:27 > 0:39:35tools and resources to deliver them. In 2009, 2010, the last Labour
0:39:35 > 0:39:38government had 14,000 starts in that one year but this government has
0:39:38 > 0:39:43financed 199 in the last six months, given we have such a shortage of
0:39:43 > 0:39:48local social housing and we have a homelessness crisis, how does the
0:39:48 > 0:39:53government explained this was a ball performance?For the record, local
0:39:53 > 0:39:58authorities have built over 10,000 homes since 2010 compared to under
0:39:58 > 0:40:013000 in the 13 years of the last Labour government but we know we had
0:40:01 > 0:40:06to do much more on that is why we are raising the borrowing cap by up
0:40:06 > 0:40:09to £1 billion to make sure we spare local house-building as widely as we
0:40:09 > 0:40:17can.Is it in the private sector to build in sufficient quantity is to
0:40:17 > 0:40:24achieve a reduction in price?It is a good question which is probably
0:40:24 > 0:40:28one for a symposium with everyone from developers and the planners,
0:40:28 > 0:40:32but we do want to see a stabilisation in house prices and we
0:40:32 > 0:40:37need to build more homes and deal with the demand, there is no single
0:40:37 > 0:40:42answer and we have got to yak every lever at our disposal 30% harder. --
0:40:42 > 0:40:53yank.At last, thank you, Mr speaker. The settlement sees a real
0:40:53 > 0:40:56increase for local government in the next two years, increasing from
0:40:56 > 0:41:03£44.3 billion to £45.6 billion. Edward Aga.
0:41:06 > 0:41:10Leicestershire has had one of the lowest per head of population
0:41:10 > 0:41:19funding settlements in the country, will he make sure that with the new
0:41:19 > 0:41:22funding system it provides fair funding for Leicestershire alongside
0:41:22 > 0:41:25his department continuing to support our councils in driving further
0:41:25 > 0:41:31efficiencies and service improvements?In particular for
0:41:31 > 0:41:34Leicestershire but for councils there could be no better champion of
0:41:34 > 0:41:40fairer funding for the many councils and not the few, than my honourable
0:41:40 > 0:41:44friend, and this evidence -based review will provide the opportunity
0:41:44 > 0:41:48from their funding allocations for Leicestershire and other councils.
0:41:48 > 0:41:55On the 4th of December the sectarian state told the house that local
0:41:55 > 0:41:57government finance settlement is coming shortly and he can see what
0:41:57 > 0:42:00happens with that, but apart from finding out that the Secretary of
0:42:00 > 0:42:03State is bad at maths and doesn't know what is happening in his
0:42:03 > 0:42:07Department the settlement came and went with no help for children's
0:42:07 > 0:42:10services, since then Tory Northamptonshire has effectively
0:42:10 > 0:42:13gone bust siding children's services as one of the main cost pressures
0:42:13 > 0:42:19and only last week the National Audit Office published a damning
0:42:19 > 0:42:28report showing the worst crisis in the local government sectors 170
0:42:28 > 0:42:31year history, so with the Spring statement tomorrow, what is the
0:42:31 > 0:42:35minister going to do to make sure that our children's services get the
0:42:35 > 0:42:40£2 billion that even the Tory controlled local government
0:42:40 > 0:42:46Association says that they so desperately need?
0:42:46 > 0:42:51Well, Mr Speaker, we have increased funding in real terms and I'm sure
0:42:51 > 0:42:56his constituents in Denton and Redditch like my constituents will
0:42:56 > 0:42:59welcome that. What I would say to the honourable gentleman, with the
0:42:59 > 0:43:02fairer funding review coming up white rather than trying to score
0:43:02 > 0:43:06political points across the chamber, doesn't he get involved in it so
0:43:06 > 0:43:10local authorities can concentrate on delivering?Thank you, Mr Speaker.
0:43:10 > 0:43:14Can my honourable friend provide assurances that the pressures on how
0:43:14 > 0:43:17to London boroughs will be considered as part of the fairer
0:43:17 > 0:43:22funding review?I can absolutely provide those assurances to my
0:43:22 > 0:43:24honourable friend, demographic change will be at the heart of the
0:43:24 > 0:43:31fairer funding review.Number 15, Mr Speaker.Mr Speaker, over the
0:43:31 > 0:43:35Spending Review period councils will receive more than £200 billion to
0:43:35 > 0:43:39deliver local services, this money is in the large part in ring fenced
0:43:39 > 0:43:43so local authorities can prioritise where they see fit, including for
0:43:43 > 0:43:48their statutory duties relating to children in care.Thank you, Mr
0:43:48 > 0:43:50Speaker. With the education disparity between looked after and
0:43:50 > 0:43:54not looked after children so wide what more does the Minister believe
0:43:54 > 0:43:59local authorities can do to bridge this gap?My honourable friend race
0:43:59 > 0:44:03is a good point about the outcomes for children in care. The government
0:44:03 > 0:44:07is consulting and is shortly to introduce the care leavers covenant
0:44:07 > 0:44:10looking to support companies, charities and local government to
0:44:10 > 0:44:14bring care leavers into implement after they leave care and
0:44:14 > 0:44:16strengthening corporate parenting provisions in the forthcoming
0:44:16 > 0:44:24children and social work act.Mr Speaker, over 1 million homes have
0:44:24 > 0:44:28been delivered since 2010, we are taking forward a range of reforms to
0:44:28 > 0:44:34build more homes more swiftly, including the NPPF published last
0:44:34 > 0:44:38week.Two weeks ago I asked the Department for the number of houses
0:44:38 > 0:44:42will not be built because of land banking, and the answer came back
0:44:42 > 0:44:47the department does not hold the information requested. How can the
0:44:47 > 0:44:51Minister have a crackdown on land banking if he has no information? I
0:44:51 > 0:44:57believe the minister does have that information and I urge the Minister
0:44:57 > 0:45:00to publish that information so he can monitor the builders and we can
0:45:00 > 0:45:07monitor his performance.Can I say, Mr Speaker, I welcome that scrutiny.
0:45:07 > 0:45:12It is difficult to establish the negative in the way he is suggesting
0:45:12 > 0:45:18but we have the NPPF housing delivery test that will test local
0:45:18 > 0:45:21authorities and developers on the delivery of homes and the review by
0:45:21 > 0:45:25my Right Honourable friend for Dorset West which will squarely
0:45:25 > 0:45:30address the point he is concerned about.Number 18, Mr Speaker.Thank
0:45:30 > 0:45:35you, Mr Speaker. For areas not, that have not agreed deal so far we aim
0:45:35 > 0:45:39to provide clarity on how best to take forward their ambitions for
0:45:39 > 0:45:44devolution and local growth over the coming months.The Minister will be
0:45:44 > 0:45:48aware that the greater Lincolnshire deal collapsed last year despite the
0:45:48 > 0:45:52support of the overwhelming number of local authorities. Will the
0:45:52 > 0:45:56Minister look favourably on a revised scheme from a smaller number
0:45:56 > 0:46:02of authorities in the county?Mr Speaker, devolution could almost be
0:46:02 > 0:46:05regarded as the golden thread of Brexit. If we want to take back
0:46:05 > 0:46:09control we should bring power is not just from Brussels to London but
0:46:09 > 0:46:14from London back to our regions. Last Friday I met with borough and
0:46:14 > 0:46:18county councillors in Gainsborough and Lincoln and was struck by the
0:46:18 > 0:46:21pent-up demand for devolution in Lincolnshire and suggest the
0:46:21 > 0:46:25honourable gentleman uses his considerable leadership role to
0:46:25 > 0:46:32drive for devolution in his.Topical questions, Tom Pursglove.Mr
0:46:32 > 0:46:35Speaker, yesterday we marked Mother's Day, a few days after
0:46:35 > 0:46:38International Women's Day and the 100th anniversary of women getting
0:46:38 > 0:46:43the boat. All members will want to join me in applauding the
0:46:43 > 0:46:46exceptional women who make this country great including our Prime
0:46:46 > 0:46:49Minister. Last week she launched bold ambitious reforms to planning
0:46:49 > 0:46:58rules to help build the homes this country needs and since my last
0:46:58 > 0:47:01department I'm pleased the homelessness reduction task force
0:47:01 > 0:47:03has met for the first time and the government confirmed a support for
0:47:03 > 0:47:09the National War Memorial honouring Sikh servicemen. Corbyn East is East
0:47:09 > 0:47:13Hampshire and share has been at the front over building new homes in
0:47:13 > 0:47:17line with the agenda set up by the Prime Minister last week. Can he
0:47:17 > 0:47:22reassure my constituents that along with building those new homes will
0:47:22 > 0:47:26see the appropriate infrastructure to accompany them at all times?My
0:47:26 > 0:47:30honourable friend is right to raise the issue of infrastructure when it
0:47:30 > 0:47:35comes to building the homes we need. That's why for example the housing
0:47:35 > 0:47:39infrastructure fund is so important. Inodes through his hard work in the
0:47:39 > 0:47:45first allegation that Corby received some and I listen carefully to what
0:47:45 > 0:47:51he says. -- I know that through his hard work.Nine months on from the
0:47:51 > 0:47:57Grenfell Tower fire at Nakamba Secretary of State say yes or no
0:47:57 > 0:48:02weather every tower block with a social or a private landlord which
0:48:02 > 0:48:10has Grenfell type cladding has now been identified and tested?Mr
0:48:10 > 0:48:15Speaker, the Right Honourable gentleman is right to raise this
0:48:15 > 0:48:19issue, it is key that we make sure we're hoping local identify those
0:48:19 > 0:48:26tower blocks. When it comes to social housing all of those tower
0:48:26 > 0:48:29blocks, whether owned by councils or housing associations have been
0:48:29 > 0:48:33identified and we continue to work with local councils including giving
0:48:33 > 0:48:37additional financial support, just last week of £1 million to find and
0:48:37 > 0:48:40make sure they are identifying every single tower block in the private
0:48:40 > 0:48:48sector and they will continue to receive whatever support they need.
0:48:48 > 0:48:52Mr Speaker, I think that was a long winded no and is consistent with the
0:48:52 > 0:48:58recent building safety data release so, how is it nine months after
0:48:58 > 0:49:02Grenfell that not all private tower blocks with suspect cladding have
0:49:02 > 0:49:11been tested, that only seven of 301 blocks with Grenfell type cladding
0:49:11 > 0:49:17have yet had had removed and replaced, that not one of 41
0:49:17 > 0:49:20councils that have asked for financial help with extra fire
0:49:20 > 0:49:26safety work has yet even had an answer from the Department? Now, he
0:49:26 > 0:49:29is the Housing Secretary. What does he say to reasonable people faced
0:49:29 > 0:49:36with these facts who feel that he is failing the Prime Minister's pledge
0:49:36 > 0:49:40in June, my government, she said, will do whatever it takes to keep
0:49:40 > 0:49:48people safe.Mr Speaker, reasonable people understand just how important
0:49:48 > 0:49:54this issue is and they don't take kindly when they Right Honourable
0:49:54 > 0:49:58gentleman plays party politics with such an important issue. Such an
0:49:58 > 0:50:03important issue. If he actually cared Right Honourable gentleman
0:50:03 > 0:50:07wouldn't raise it in such a way and use numbers and twist the facts so
0:50:07 > 0:50:11that he tries to scare the public with what is going on. The truth is
0:50:11 > 0:50:16we are working with local authorities up-and-down the country
0:50:16 > 0:50:20to address and locate every single building, put in remedial measures,
0:50:20 > 0:50:23and also to help them with the funding, and not a single council,
0:50:23 > 0:50:27as he says, has been turned away. We are talking to every single council
0:50:27 > 0:50:31that has approached us and we made it clear they will all receive, if
0:50:31 > 0:50:35they needed, the financial flexibility is to get the job done.
0:50:35 > 0:50:40Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thousands of homes have been granted planning
0:50:40 > 0:50:44permission in my constituency but then we often see long delays until
0:50:44 > 0:50:47the houses are built. Could my Right Honourable friend advise what steps
0:50:47 > 0:50:50he is taking to make sure that when planning permission is granted
0:50:50 > 0:50:58houses are built, and particularly affordable homes?I can give my
0:50:58 > 0:51:02honourable friend that assurance. First, there is the work we have
0:51:02 > 0:51:05commissioned, the Independent work from the Right Honourable member
0:51:05 > 0:51:08from West Dorset, on speeding a building once planning permission
0:51:08 > 0:51:11has been given and we will hear more on that this week. Secondly, in the
0:51:11 > 0:51:15consultation that was published earlier this week, there is a
0:51:15 > 0:51:18particular focus on developer contributions to make sure that
0:51:18 > 0:51:21developers stick to their word and they can no longer game the system.
0:51:21 > 0:51:27Matt Western.Thank you, Mr Speaker. On the 1st of March we saw the
0:51:27 > 0:51:33relaunch of the Parliamentary campaign for council housing
0:51:33 > 0:51:37bringing together MPs from all parties, calling for the mass
0:51:37 > 0:51:42building of council housing. Can the Minister or Secretary of State
0:51:42 > 0:51:46specify what the Department is doing to accelerate the expansion and
0:51:46 > 0:51:55building of council housing in this country?Thank you, Mr Speaker. I
0:51:55 > 0:52:01reiterate again, we are raising the HRA borrowing limited to £1 billion
0:52:01 > 0:52:04for local authorities where there is the highest need for new council
0:52:04 > 0:52:09housing to be built to apply, again, please can I ask him to encourage
0:52:09 > 0:52:14councils in his area to apply?What recent assessment has the department
0:52:14 > 0:52:24made of the success of the troubled families programme?Thank you, Mr
0:52:24 > 0:52:26Speaker. My honourable friend has a long history of being interested in
0:52:26 > 0:52:29this programme and he will be pleased to know the evaluation
0:52:29 > 0:52:32reports published in December showed very promising progress particularly
0:52:32 > 0:52:36with regard to children in need and further findings will be published
0:52:36 > 0:52:39in due course in the annual report and I look forward to discussing
0:52:39 > 0:52:45those at length with him then.Thank you, Mr Speaker. The current
0:52:45 > 0:52:49definition for affordable housing introduced by the coalition
0:52:49 > 0:52:54government is set at 80% of local market rate. But when house prices
0:52:54 > 0:52:58are spiralling out of control, as they are in my Battersea
0:52:58 > 0:53:01constituency, this definition of affordable housing is a cruel joke
0:53:01 > 0:53:06to those on low or medium incomes. Will the Secretary of State commit
0:53:06 > 0:53:12to replacing this absurd definition so that housing can be genuinely
0:53:12 > 0:53:17affordable to my constituents?Well, I do understand the issue the
0:53:17 > 0:53:21Honourable Lady raises. I would say the numbers on social housing
0:53:21 > 0:53:25waiting lists are down by half a million since 2010 and a number of
0:53:25 > 0:53:28affordable homes in total including social housing is higher in the last
0:53:28 > 0:53:30seven years and the previous seven years of the last Labour government
0:53:30 > 0:53:35but we are restless to do more. I'm not sure fiddling the criteria of
0:53:35 > 0:53:38how these things are measured is the answer. We need more homes across
0:53:38 > 0:53:43the board and I welcome her support in that regard.Thank you, Mr
0:53:43 > 0:53:47Speaker. My honourable friend has already raised the issue of fairer
0:53:47 > 0:53:49funding for Leicestershire County Council. The county council are
0:53:49 > 0:53:52broadly supportive of the Government's consultation but does
0:53:52 > 0:53:55the Minister agree that the overall funding formula needs to be looked
0:53:55 > 0:54:00at in detail because of the baseline is not addressed Leicestershire will
0:54:00 > 0:54:05still be falling behind other county councils?Mr Speaker, I very much
0:54:05 > 0:54:08agree with my Right Honourable friend, that Leicestershire in
0:54:08 > 0:54:11particular has done much work on this, which will certainly feed into
0:54:11 > 0:54:15the consultation on fairer funding that is closing today. I also know
0:54:15 > 0:54:18my honourable friend the housing minister recently met with
0:54:18 > 0:54:21Leicestershire and I would be happy to meet with my honourable friend to
0:54:21 > 0:54:26discuss this further.Patrick Grady. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Given the
0:54:26 > 0:54:29importance of European Union regional development funding across
0:54:29 > 0:54:33the UK what discussions is the Secretary of State having about
0:54:33 > 0:54:38replacing this funding after Brexit? Mr Speaker, we are having white
0:54:38 > 0:54:43discussions with all departments across government consulting on the
0:54:43 > 0:54:46UK's Shared Prosperity Fund, which crucially in a post-Brexit world
0:54:46 > 0:54:49will deliver on Britain's priorities when it comes to local growth
0:54:49 > 0:54:54funding.Kevin Hollinrake.Thank you, Mr Speaker. A recent report by
0:54:54 > 0:54:56the campaign to protect rural England says the viability
0:54:56 > 0:55:00assessments favour large Donegal arched developers of a small
0:55:00 > 0:55:04developers and cut the number of affordable homes by 50%. With the
0:55:04 > 0:55:09Minister use the strongest possible action to make sure SMEs compete on
0:55:09 > 0:55:12a level playing field with large builders and developers provide
0:55:12 > 0:55:17homes for those most in need.My honourable friend is absolutely
0:55:17 > 0:55:20right and through our planning reforms we are putting formal rigour
0:55:20 > 0:55:25into the systems, both so plans, planners are clear about the
0:55:25 > 0:55:27allegations on infrastructure and affordable houses but so that
0:55:27 > 0:55:30developers can be properly held to account in meeting those aspirations
0:55:30 > 0:55:35and commitments.If the government are serious about the Northern
0:55:35 > 0:55:37Powerhouse and improving connectivity between communities in
0:55:37 > 0:55:41the north, does the Northern Powerhouse Minister think that
0:55:41 > 0:55:45trans-Pennine's plans to lengthen journeys from Hull across the
0:55:45 > 0:55:49Pennines and not turning up to a meeting with the city's MPs and
0:55:49 > 0:55:52business leaders last week to discuss this, will help deliver his
0:55:52 > 0:55:57plans for the Northern Powerhouse?I think it's extremely disappointing
0:55:57 > 0:56:01if trans-Pennine didn't turn up to a meeting with members of Parliament
0:56:01 > 0:56:05from the city of Hull. What I would say, and I hope the Honourable Lady
0:56:05 > 0:56:10will be encouraged that we are investing £13 billion to put it in
0:56:10 > 0:56:14context, more money than any government in history, in our
0:56:14 > 0:56:17northern transport infrastructure, and on top of that we have set up
0:56:17 > 0:56:23transport for the North, a sub national transport body currently
0:56:23 > 0:56:26consulting on a 30 year plan to improve transport across the north
0:56:26 > 0:56:32of England, and that is how you deliver a Northern Powerhouse.Thank
0:56:32 > 0:56:35you, Mr Speaker. With a chest to set to displace a number of tenants
0:56:35 > 0:56:38living in social housing in my constituency, would my Right
0:56:38 > 0:56:43Honourable friend consider whether the rent act 1977, which obliges
0:56:43 > 0:56:46councils to rehouse council tenants whose homes are subject to
0:56:46 > 0:56:49compulsory purchase orders, will need amending to reflect the fact
0:56:49 > 0:56:53the majority of social housing stock is now owned by housing associations
0:56:53 > 0:57:00rather than by local authorities?I entirely understand the concern that
0:57:00 > 0:57:03my honourable friend is sharing with us. I hope I can give some
0:57:03 > 0:57:09reassurance. I don't think there is need to amend the 1977 act because
0:57:09 > 0:57:12local authorities are already obliged to consider those in need of
0:57:12 > 0:57:15social housing through the Housing Act 1996, so local authorities will
0:57:15 > 0:57:19make appropriate non-Asians to housing associations or offer
0:57:19 > 0:57:29tenancies in their own stock. -- nominations to housing associations.
0:57:29 > 0:57:35Given that the members for Reading West and Nuneaton are not in their
0:57:35 > 0:57:38former government posts, what has happened to the consultation and the
0:57:38 > 0:57:46timescale for action the government promised my frustrated constituents?
0:57:46 > 0:57:50It is a very important issue and we are looking to see what more we can
0:57:50 > 0:57:54do with the challenges it represents and we are planning to publish a
0:57:54 > 0:58:00consultation and will do so as soon as possible.An article in the
0:58:00 > 0:58:02Sunday Times yesterday highlighted that we still have some councils
0:58:02 > 0:58:08performing mass burials for babies and I was appalled but research has
0:58:08 > 0:58:11identified that despite campaign efforts by colleagues across the
0:58:11 > 0:58:14house and charities, we have not been able to set up a children's
0:58:14 > 0:58:21funeral fund, would you meet with me to progress this?Mr speaker, you
0:58:21 > 0:58:25are right to raise this, nothing can be harder than losing a parent and
0:58:25 > 0:58:30we must also be looking to see what could be done to provide help, local
0:58:30 > 0:58:33authorities provide help in many ways but she is right to raise this
0:58:33 > 0:58:36and I was also concerned by the article she referenced and I will be
0:58:36 > 0:58:43happy to meet with her.Every day is a school day, especially when it
0:58:43 > 0:58:49comes to parliamentary conventions. Affordable housing and council
0:58:49 > 0:58:54housing are not the same, will the minister consider amending the
0:58:54 > 0:58:57planning policy framework to enable councils to specify in their
0:58:57 > 0:59:02strategic plans different housing types rather than mentioning
0:59:02 > 0:59:08affordable and housing always on the same breath?The honourable lady
0:59:08 > 0:59:11makes an important point but if she'd accept the detail of the new
0:59:11 > 0:59:17revised national policy plan she will see there is scope for the
0:59:17 > 0:59:23distinction and I look forward to her responses in support.Could I
0:59:23 > 0:59:26ask the Secretary of State when we are likely to get a decision on the
0:59:26 > 0:59:31fantastic plans for expansion at because way in my constituency? --
0:59:31 > 0:59:37at the Causeway. I don't know why this is taken so long, because what
0:59:37 > 0:59:42is there not to like about more jobs and infrastructure.I should declare
0:59:42 > 0:59:52an interest, I have been shopping there many times, it is my mother 's
0:59:52 > 0:59:57favourite place, but we are looking at this in detail. It is relatively
0:59:57 > 1:00:02complex but we will try to reach a decision as quickly as possible.It
1:00:02 > 1:00:07is useful to learn about minister's domestic habits and we are grateful
1:00:07 > 1:00:09for the minister providing further information.
1:00:12 > 1:00:19Northamptonshire County Council has really -- recently gone bust, is
1:00:19 > 1:00:24that because of incompetence?It hasn't gone bust, but because of
1:00:24 > 1:00:27concerns about their finances with ago I appointed an independent
1:00:27 > 1:00:32investigation into this, a best value in inspection and the
1:00:32 > 1:00:39inspector will report later this week.I welcomed the government's
1:00:39 > 1:00:42encouraging words on the need to improve the funding for the upper
1:00:42 > 1:00:49tiers but would the Secretary of State welcome and congratulate
1:00:49 > 1:00:52Conservative run Brock Stowe Borough Council which has frozen its council
1:00:52 > 1:00:57tax yet again while delivering excellent services and reducing
1:00:57 > 1:01:04rents by 1% and spending half £1 million on parks and open spaces,
1:01:04 > 1:01:10and Labour and the Liberal Democrats at Brookstone voted against this.
1:01:10 > 1:01:15First of all come up I have to say to my honourable friend, are not
1:01:15 > 1:01:21surprised at the behaviour of Labour and the Lib Dems, but I would warmly
1:01:21 > 1:01:26welcomed the council in your constituency by keeping taxes low
1:01:26 > 1:01:33and quality high, and it is a reminder that Conservative councils
1:01:33 > 1:01:40cost you less but give you more.The fact of the matter, I'm sure the
1:01:40 > 1:01:44Secretary of State will agree, the government has quite rightly
1:01:44 > 1:01:50increased the standard and the cost should be borne partly by the
1:01:50 > 1:01:53freeholder and partly by the leasehold and partly by the
1:01:53 > 1:01:56government, why doesn't he get those three together and do something
1:01:56 > 1:02:04about it?We have made it clear that when it comes to the private sector
1:02:04 > 1:02:05and this type of remedial work, they should take their lead from the
1:02:05 > 1:02:11social sector and it is the moral duty of any freeholder to meet any
1:02:11 > 1:02:15necessary cost and there are a number of legal issues, the legal
1:02:15 > 1:02:20case that is very important to this going to the courts right now, and
1:02:20 > 1:02:25this is something we are keeping under review. Councils in rural
1:02:25 > 1:02:39areas have received a rule deal-- raw deal for many years, so in the
1:02:39 > 1:02:41review, will be true cost of services be delivered so that rural
1:02:41 > 1:02:48areas get a fair deal?I know you are a doughty champion of rural
1:02:48 > 1:02:52areas and I'm pleased to say that your point will be considered in the
1:02:52 > 1:02:55fair funding formula and I'm sure he will be heart and by the local
1:02:55 > 1:02:59government financial settlement where we increase the rural services
1:02:59 > 1:03:05delivery grant to its highest level. Three remaining questions, if each
1:03:05 > 1:03:10of the three agree to ask a single sentence question less than 20
1:03:10 > 1:03:21words.What can the minister do to include broadband in that?We are
1:03:21 > 1:03:27working with DC MS in doing just that.He is not a lawyer for
1:03:27 > 1:03:32nothing.Following Sunday Times revelations about fraudulent
1:03:32 > 1:03:42Grenfell aid claims, what more can be done about this?I won't comment
1:03:42 > 1:03:46on the particular claims, I'm sure you will understand, but it is
1:03:46 > 1:03:49important that the council and the police are working together on any
1:03:49 > 1:03:56such alleged failure. -- behaviour. Rebecca pow.
1:03:56 > 1:04:03Under the new garden status, Taunton Deane is delivering well above the
1:04:03 > 1:04:10average which the minister will appreciate about the best way to
1:04:10 > 1:04:17succeed is with the recent funding formula bid put in with Somerset
1:04:17 > 1:04:24Council? -- but the best way for the yes.Pipe.