Topical Questions

Question

If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities including launching the Government's new high streets strategy, the £150 million community ownership fund and the multibillion-pound towns fund.

Question

Dorset Council's extra funding from the right hon. Friend's Department will help substantially, but it is ring-fenced for reactive responses to domestic violence. Can my right hon. Friend look at providing non-ringfenced funding for new burdens under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 so that Dorset Council can continue its vital work in preventing domestic abuse?

Question

Will the Secretary of State lobby the Chancellor to ensure that any legislation introduced after the current consultation on access to cash will include a statutory obligation on banks to provide adequate access to cash withdrawals free at the point of use?

Question

My constituency has experienced massive housing growth, putting pressure on local infrastructure and causing a shortage of school places and increased traffic. What steps is my right hon. Friend taking to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is put in place for these developments?

Question

The Secretary of State was sent out to defend the indefensible regarding housing policy during the pandemic. With a warning that more people are at risk of homelessness than ever before, can he confirm if his promise that 'nobody should lose their home' has been abandoned?

Question

In Wolverhampton, green space has been put forward for housing development by the city council. I am sure that the council would welcome reassurance from the Secretary of State that there can be discussions with his Department about the accuracy and reasonableness of those numbers going forward. Does he agree that city centre living is key, and that councils must be imaginative when incorporating housing into retail and leisure developments? I am thinking specifically of the Westside development in Wolverhampton, which could be reviewed.

Question

I was enthused to hear recently that a positive discussion is ongoing with the Welsh Government about a freeport in Wales. Does the Secretary of State agree that a freeport would be massively beneficial, particularly if it spreads the entire length of north Wales, taking into account its borders at the port of Holyhead, as well as manufacturing centres in Wrexham, Deeside and Delyn, to drive forward economic benefits for our entire region?

Question

Local post offices play a vital part in keeping our high streets vibrant and our communities thriving. That is why I am deeply disappointed that, without undertaking a prior consultation, the Post Office served notice on Mr Ahmed, who runs Haworth post office in my constituency. Will the Minister meet me, alongside ministerial colleagues from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, urgently to review the Post Office's intention, and aim to save our Haworth post office?

Question

Many of the buildings in my constituency that have been found to have cladding defects, including Norfolk House, St Peters Gardens and Leeward Court, are under 18 metres and therefore ineligible for the building safety fund. The only offer made to impacted leaseholders is a loan scheme, with no clarity about how it will work and when it will be made available. When will the Secretary of State's Department finally step up and extend funding to those blocks under 18 metres that are in need of remediation?

Question

The last year saw a record rise in council tax arrears of £1.5 billion, as families struggled under the weight of the pandemic. With tens of thousands more people likely to receive a call or a knock on the door from a bailiff in the months and years ahead, will the Secretary of State look at proposals from the Centre for Social Justice for an enforcement conduct authority, developed through a historic coming-together of bailiffs and the debt advice sector?

Question

As my right hon. Friend knows, there are building safety issues other than cladding, including missing firebreaks. Will he therefore tell me what advice I can give to my constituents who are currently unable to sell or let properties that they bought in good faith a matter of only a few years ago?

Question

During my by-election campaign, fellow residents raised concerns about proposed plans for a large Amazon warehouse in Scholes. Will the Secretary of State assure me that local people's rights to be informed and their objections taken seriously will always be respected?

Question

Although my constituency was not a beneficiary of the towns deal, we are now in a position to bid for the levelling-up fund. Will the Secretary of State confirm that an announcement will be made soon on the second round so that we can put forward our case?

Question

Instead of creating opportunities for developers to build poor quality housing, why does the Secretary of State not force developers with permission for 1.1 million homes and planning applications for another 1 million homes to bring forward their plans?

Question

Young people have faced difficulty buying houses at the same rate as previous generations. May I welcome the Government's proposals and consultation to help young people enter homeownership while opposition parties lack policies?