Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Devolution: Local Communities

Monday 2 December 2024 · 3 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • English devolution White Paper due by end of 2024 will transfer power from Westminster to local communities.
  • Government plans to include measures in the White Paper that give local places greater control over shaping their area.
  • Community right to buy is a focus to ensure communities have effective means to purchase local assets.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Emma Foody Labour (Co-op) Cramlington and Killingworth
Local Government
Context

The question arises from the ongoing debate on transferring power to local communities, aiming to address issues faced by various constituencies.

Question

What steps she is taking to further devolve powers to local communities. The English devolution White Paper, due by the end of the year, sets out how we will transfer power from Westminster to people who know their areas best. The White Paper will also announce measures that will give local places and communities greater control over shaping their area.

Answer from Jim McMahon

The English devolution White Paper, due by the end of the year, sets out how we will transfer power from Westminster to people who know their areas best. The White Paper will also announce measures that will give local places and communities greater control over shaping their area.

Answered
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Q2 Emma Foody Labour (Co-op) Cramlington and Killingworth
Community Security Local Government
Context

Libraries, pubs, football, community centres—these are the things that make up a community, but in so many places they have vanished over the last 14 years. There is an interest in ensuring local authorities and community groups receive necessary guidance for utilising the community right to buy.

Question

Libraries, pubs, football, community centres—these are the things that make up a community, but in so many places they have vanished over the last 14 years. I am delighted to hear plans of a community right to buy. What work are the Government doing to ensure that local authorities and community groups have the guidance and expertise needed to utilise this powerful new right once it is realised?

Answer from Jim McMahon

In there is the point about devolution and localism: structures matter and the framework matters, but in the end it is about getting the power out to the communities who have skin in the game. That is why we want to ensure that the community right to buy provides an effective means for communities across the country to take ownership of assets that are important to them. We are considering what further support and guidance we will provide to communities and local authorities to support them in this measure, and I know that the Minister for local growth, my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham North and Kimberley (Alex Norris), is fully engaged in this endeavour.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific details on what further support and guidance will be provided are not clearly outlined.

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Q3 Lisa Smart Lib Dem Hazel Grove
Housing Local Government
Context

Many constituents welcome devolved powers but face challenges such as viability calculations used by developers to justify building only expensive houses, hindering the delivery of social housing.

Question

Many of my constituents would welcome further powers being devolved to their local communities. They are as keen as mustard to see the right homes in the right places, particularly social housing, but one of the things stopping social housing being delivered is the viability calculations that are undertaken by developers, who use them to say that only expensive houses can be built. Are the Government looking at reviewing the use of viability calculations?

Answer from Jim McMahon

That is some way from community ownership, but the devolution White Paper is one of a number of measures that we are taking and it will have a clear community strand. This does not sit in isolation, however; it is part of the wider reforms that are taking place to ensure that communities, local authorities and Government work in partnership.

Not addressed: The question regarding viability calculations was completely sidestepped in favor of discussing devolution measures in general.

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