Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Topical Questions

Monday 11 January 2021 · 10 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 6 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Local councils have received funding throughout the pandemic on an un-ring-fenced basis, including 54 million for Buckinghamshire council.
  • The Secretary of State has left the decision on the new deep coal mine in Cumbria to local councillors, adhering to the national planning policy framework.
  • The shared prosperity fund, alongside continued EU structural funds, will provide additional funding to support local communities, with the Chancellor adding 220 million.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Cheryl Gillan Con
Housing Community Security Local Government
Context

The Government announced the recipients of £830 million in future high streets fund. Councils are playing a role in the vaccination programme, especially for hard-to-reach groups.

Question

Over Christmas the Government announced 72 recipients of our £830 million future high streets fund competition, enabling councils to deliver ambitious regeneration plans. Councils are critical to the pandemic response, and the focus will be on their supportive role in vaccination programmes. Last week I announced the next phase of rough sleepers support strategy committing over £700 million. The Government's mission includes home ownership through leasehold reforms.

Answer from Robert Jenrick (Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local councils have done a fantastic job but face capacity limitations. We are urging Cabinet to prioritise carefully their asks of local government, ensuring schemes are simple to reduce burden. Funding has been provided in almost every case on an un-ring-fenced basis throughout the pandemic, including £54 million for Bucks council.

Answered
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Q2 Cheryl Gillan Con
Local Government
Context

Bucks council received £200 million across various grants, but they face restrictions on how these funds can be used.

Question

In addition to general grants Bucks council has received £200 million across 25 specific grants. However, there are many conditions attached, such as not being able to use the contain outbreak management fund for supporting local businesses. Given councils' frontline role in the pandemic, shouldn't they have more freedom and flexibility?

Answer from Robert Jenrick (Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government)

We are urging Cabinet to prioritise carefully their asks of local government, ensuring schemes are simple. Funding has been provided on an un-ring-fenced basis throughout the pandemic, including £54 million for Bucks council.

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Q3 Naseem Shah Lab Bradford West
Climate
Context

The Government has decided not to challenge the opening of a new deep coal mine in Cumbria despite concerns about climate change ahead of COP26.

Question

In November, the Secretary of State took an extraordinary decision not to challenge the opening of a new deep coal mine in Cumbria. This application is of national and global importance. Will he now commit to blocking this disastrous application? If not, how can anyone take the Government seriously on climate change?

Answer from Robert Jenrick (Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government)

A decision not to call in an application is not a decision on merits. It is left to local democratically elected councillors in Cumbria. The national planning policy framework balances presumption against new coal with economic benefits.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Commitment to block the application

How: Decision Not To Call In An Application Is Not A Decision On Merits, It Is Left To Local Democratically Elected Councillors

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Q4 David Linden SNP
Scotland Brexit
Context

Scotland's future funding was promised details in the spending review but was not revealed. The Scottish Government and councils have been left uncertain about the UK shared prosperity fund.

Question

The Secretary of State promised more details on the replacement of EU structural funds in November, which did not appear in the spending review. Scotland's share is £18 million while they could expect over £121 million if independent in the EU. How can he claim the shared prosperity fund replaces lost EU funds?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

The EU structural funds will continue at current levels. The Chancellor has added £220 million more on top. We are making our own decisions on dividing up funds to support local communities.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Proportion of additional funding going to Scotland

How: The Eu Structural Funds Will Continue At Current Levels, We Can Make Our Own Decisions

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Q5 David Linden SNP
Scotland Brexit
Context

Scotland's share of the UK shared prosperity fund is £18 million compared to over £121 million if remaining in the EU. The promised details on replacing EU structural funds were not revealed.

Question

The Secretary of State has touched on this, but Scotland's share of transition funding to replace structural funds will be £18 million, less than a sixth of what it would receive as an independent member. How can he claim the shared prosperity fund replaces lost EU funds?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

The EU structural funds will continue at current levels. The Chancellor has added £220 million more on top. We are making our own decisions on dividing up funds to support local communities.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Proportion of additional funding going to Scotland

How: The Eu Structural Funds Will Continue At Current Levels, We Can Make Our Own Decisions

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Q6 Lee Anderson Reform Ashfield
Housing Transport Local Government
Context

The £6.2 million future high streets fund is set to benefit Ashfield, but Eastwood in the constituency has been overlooked for years under previous Labour leadership.

Question

The £6.2 million future high streets fund is a welcome boost for Ashfield. Along with the towns fund of up to a third of £50 million for our area, this investment shows a real commitment to level up in red wall seats like mine. However, the forgotten town of Eastwood in my constituency has been left behind for years under successive Labour MPs and councils. Will my right hon. Friend therefore please meet me to discuss once again how Eastwood can be included in the next round of funding?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

My hon. Friend has already secured, as he says, the town deal for Ashfield, and the good news over the Christmas period is that it will also benefit from the high streets fund. We have been supporting Eastwood under this Government. The redevelopment of Mushroom Farm has received £160,000 for new commercial space for small and medium-sized enterprises and entrepreneurs in his constituency, but I would be very happy to meet him and see what more we might be able to do, so that all the investment that we have brought to Ashfield is also spread to Eastwood.

Answered
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Q7 Stuart McDonald SNP
Immigration Housing Benefits & Welfare
Context

The Secretary of State announced the Everyone In policy last week, aimed at supporting vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness.

Question

Can the Secretary of State confirm that his new Everyone In policy announced last week includes people with no recourse to public funds, without exceptions or caveats? And will he listen to calls from the Local Government Association and others for no recourse to public funds conditions to be suspended so that everyone who is vulnerable can access help?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

We have been very clear that the further work that we are doing now, building on the hugely successful Everyone In scheme, will be available to all individuals. Councils need to apply the law and that means making an individual assessment, but the unique circumstances of winter and the pandemic will mean that councils will use that to support more people off the streets and, importantly, to view this as a moment not just to support them now, but to get them GP-registered so that, in due course, they can be vaccinated, so we lead the world in supporting this vulnerable group and ensuring that they are fully vaccinated.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not specify whether people with no recourse to public funds would be included without exceptions or caveats.

How: Councils Need To Apply The Law

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Q8 Alexander Stafford
Economy Local Government
Context

The towns fund is an initiative aimed at rejuvenating town centres, but smaller towns like Dinnington are not benefiting from this.

Question

Not too long ago, the Secretary of State met me on Dinnington High Street to discuss help for smaller towns, and especially help for Dinnington. The towns fund, which is an excellent initiative that will help to rejuvenate many town centres, does not benefit smaller towns such as those in Rother Valley. What plans does he have to introduce a similar scheme that will benefit the likes of Dinnington, Maltby, Aston and Thurcroft, so that our towns in Rother Valley can also be revived?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

I do remember that visit to Dinnington when my hon. Friend was a candidate, and I was delighted that he was later elected. He has assiduously made the point that we need to think about smaller towns and larger villages in the preparation of our plans, whether that is the levelling-up fund or the UK shared prosperity fund. I appreciate that in places such as south Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire, there are small communities, perhaps ex-steel and ex-coalfield communities, where the need is great and where we need to ensure that investment arrives. That will very much be in our minds as we prepare the prospectus for the levelling-up fund.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not provide a specific plan or timeline for supporting smaller towns like Dinnington, Maltby, Aston and Thurcroft.

How: That Will Very Much Be In Our Minds

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Q9 Andrew Selous Con
Education Children & Families
Context

There is a crisis in the education of Traveller children, with fewer than one in five meeting expected standards for English and maths at GCSE.

Question

Despite the best efforts of local authority inclusion officers, there continues to be a crisis in the education of Traveller children, with around a third of Traveller children in my area not getting a proper education. The planning system has to bear some responsibility for that. As the Department reviews this policy, will it look at a more integrated approach where children generally go to school on a regular basis and get a better education? Will that be factored in to future planning policy as the Department reviews this area?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

My hon. Friend is one of the most knowledgeable and thoughtful Members of the House on this subject, which he and I have discussed many times. Fewer than one in five children from a Gypsy, Roma or Traveller background meets the expected standard for English and maths at GCSE. I am firmly committed to delivering a cross-Government strategy to improve life chances in Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities and, as my hon. Friend says, to encourage greater integration, particularly in education. In the depths of the pandemic, my Department has invested £400,000 in education and training programmes for GRT children, so that they can receive extra tuition and catch up on lost learning.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer did not specify if a review would include an integrated approach to Traveller children's education.

How: We Need To Think About This

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Q10 Cat Smith Lab Lancaster and Wyre
Parliamentary Procedure
Context

The Public Accounts Committee reported that the towns fund selection process was not impartial, potentially subject to political interference from Ministers.

Question

In November, the Public Accounts Committee published a damning report on the towns fund, stating that the selection process was not impartial and was almost certainly subject to political interference from Ministers. Wyre Council's strong bid for the future high streets funding for Fleetwood, which I supported, was rejected last month. Was that selection process, which saw Fleetwood's town centre miss out, also not impartial?

Answer from Robert Jenrick

The hon. Lady misrepresents even what the Public Accounts Committee had to say about the towns fund; I urge her to re-read what it said and not to be so liberal with her language. I can assure her that the high streets fund used a 100% competitive process, and Ministers had no say in choosing the places selected. If fault lies anywhere, I am afraid it lies with the hon. Lady's local council, because despite our giving it hundreds of thousands of pounds to produce plans, and despite the no doubt great need in the community, it failed to put forward proposals that met the Treasury's basic benefit-cost ratio value-for-money standard. That is a great pity. The people of her local community have missed out, but if the blame lies anywhere, it lies with her local council.

Not addressed: The answer deflected the issue by criticising Wyre Council's bid instead of addressing its impartiality.

How: It Was A Competitive Process

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