Topical Questions

Question

I am concerned about the recent expansion of the Pride in Place programme and its impact on local organisations. Will the government provide up to £20 million each over 10 years for nearly 300 communities, allowing local people to decide how this money is spent?

Question

With apprenticeship starts and completions falling short of needs, does the Secretary of State now accept that his target will not be met due to a lack of skilled workers under Labour? Will the Government provide a credible plan for workforce development?

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Does the Minister agree that affordable home development should prioritise brownfield sites, protecting green space, and be supported by necessary infrastructure investments?

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Does the Minister accept that development currently being funded through our new social and affordable homes programme is delayed due to planning issues?

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Just under 430,000 social homes are non-decent, with over 100,000 reaching end of life in the next decade. Will the Minister meet me to discuss how housing-led regeneration can improve these conditions and support new home delivery?

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Many park home residents in South Shropshire are concerned about the 10% sales commission and think it is unfair. I know that the Government have committed to a consultation, but will they speed that up and just scrap the unfair commission?

Question

In my constituency of Worsley and Eccles, residents of Peel Green and the surrounding area, including the enthusiastic pupils of Salford City academy, are looking to get their hands on the Pride in Place money. What steps are the Government taking to ensure that they are at the forefront, they take the lead, and they decide?

Question

With local growth funding from Moray council, in my constituency, stopping, associated progress in digital connectivity will stop, business advice and growth services will reduce, and there will a much-reduced skills development programme. A total of 14 staff will be made redundant, with further scope for redeployment. Why is the Minister content to preside over these funding cuts and redundancies?

Question

While I welcome the fact that the Red Lion in Sutton has had its asset of community value status extended by a year, that does not completely protect it from future planning applications. Will the Minister meet me to discuss this case, and that of the Railway Inn in Norton Bridge, to understand how the Government can best support these sites and save them for future community use?

Question

From his time at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Secretary of State will be well aware of issues with agricultural planning, so will he guarantee to the House that he will take urgent action to unblock the system and unlock tens of millions of pounds back into the rural economy?

Question

I know that the people who elect us to this place believe that it is important for politicians to uphold standards, whether at a national or local level. There is growing concern about the public behaviour of the leader and deputy leader of the Reform-led council in Durham, but they have changed the regime for standards, so that a committee of only three, with two Reform members, looks at those issues. Will the Minister consider an independent commissioner for standards for local government to ensure that we can hold our representatives to account?

Question

Small businesses across North Yorkshire are under massive pressure from national insurance, the workers' rights Bill, rates, energy costs—the list goes on. Now that the consultation on the tourist tax has closed, will the Minister put that tax on pause in the interests of job creation for young people? The stats today are truly appalling.

Question

An application was made recently for a 24-hour gambling casino in Crystal Palace. I, along with Labour councillors, my right hon. Friend the Member for Streatham and Croydon North (Steve Reed) and over 1,000 local residents, oppose this predatory operator opening. Will the Minister join me in calling on the Conservative-run council to listen to residents and block the application?

Question

Last year, 88,000 new homes were meant to be started in London, but instead, 5,891 were started. That shortfall has a direct impact on rents in my Spelthorne constituency. Will the Secretary of State say why he is allowing Sadiq Khan to run circles around him?

Question

Why has the government's programme failed to recognise the impact on organisations across Liverpool Walton? We could do something that the Tories and Reform cannot do and that previous Labour Governments did: as with Harold Wilson's fair rents, we could have rent controls in deprived areas with poor housing stock. Will Ministers at least consider a pilot?

Question

What measures is the Minister taking to protect communities from inappropriate, speculative development when effective and expensive local plans that were working have been rendered effectively useless by new housing targets?

Question

Will the Minister meet me to discuss the decisions of Walsall council, including the closure of the Walsall Leather Museum against the wishes of local people?

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I have another request from Walsall borough residents. Earlier today, the Secretary of State said that local people know best. I have sent him an invitation to a peaceful protest in Aldridge on Saturday; residents from right across the constituency are coming together to protect their precious green belt. Will he come and meet with them?

Question

We need to improve the infrastructure surrounding new developments and existing developments while ensuring that highways in local government, which felt the full impact of austerity, have the resources to deliver. What conversations has the Minister had about expanding capacity in local government to ensure that highways have the appropriate resources to deliver the infrastructure that we need?

Question

What consideration has the Minister given to allowing councils to refuse future planning permission to developers with a record of leaving developments incomplete?

Question

Does the Minister agree that Birmingham's exit from section 114 status is an important moment for the city? Does she further agree that it is time to start scaling back the central Government intervention?

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What protections will the Minister put in place as at least a temporary measure to protect our communities from speculative development?

Question

This Government have awarded over £18 million to Redcar and Cleveland borough council to help it tackle the broken children's social care market. While that is welcome, it is a shame that it is necessary. Will Ministers meet my council leader to discuss what further support can be put in place to make sure this is not needed in future?

Question

I am afraid that this question may feel like groundhog day. This time last month, I asked for a meeting about local government reform, because my residents are so concerned. I was promised a meeting, yet despite having chased at least twice a week every single week for the past month, we have had zero response from the Department. When are we going to get the meetings on really important matters that we are promised in this Chamber?

Question

In Falkirk, an allocation from Labour's impact fund has addressed the funding gap that would otherwise have risked the delivery of Scottish Canals' national centre of excellence for canals and traditional skills. Will the Minister visit this regeneration project once it is completed to celebrate this Labour Government's investment in supporting Falkirk?

Question

Sovereign Harbour in Eastbourne is unique, in that it is the only harbour in the country where freeholders and leaseholders have to pay through their rent charge for not only the maintenance of the area, but sea defences, which elsewhere are paid for by the Government. Will the Secretary of State commit to meet me to review the fairness of that arrangement and help stem the tide of 16% increases in that rent charge, as has happened this year?

Question

With recent weeks having seen the closure of the two largest retailers on the main shopping street in Ballymena in my constituency, does the Minister think that the ideology of Pride in Place is capable of rescuing the situation? As part of that, would it be possible to have a special programme whereby large retail spaces whose overheads are unbearable could be subdivided into small retail units for new businesses, so that those overheads might become bearable?