Contributions
867 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillI gently say to the right hon. Member that it is this Government who have brought forward mandatory local plans, and it was his Government who did not. For too long we have left…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillThe hon. Gentleman has just given us an example of the mess the previous Government left us in. House building was going backwards, and they were nowhere near the figures they…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillI thank my hon. Friend for bringing the debate back to why we are all here and why we are in this mess in the first place. Over Christmas, when we all got to see our family and…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillI recognise the hon. Gentleman’s expertise in this area, and he is absolutely right to say that there has to be a balance; that is why the Bill sets out that controversial schemes…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillMy hon. Friend makes an important point. Not only have the Government inherited a really dire house building situation—we will turn the tide and build 1.5 million homes—but we…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillI can assure the hon. Member—I gave him two chances; I must like him—that we will protect high-quality agricultural land. Farmers have used land in various ways throughout the…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillI will not comment on individual projects, but we have been clear about nature recovery and protecting our natural spaces, as set out in the Bill. That is how we will put talk of…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillLet me be clear: I do not call people of this country the blockers. I do not see that when I am out and about; I never saw it during the general election campaign. People want…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillAs my hon. Friend says, 10 colleges of excellence were announced as part of the £600 million funding and 60,000 new apprenticeships. By giving our young people opportunities, this…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillI will not get into the details of any particular planning process, but I will say that the Bill is about better and quality engagement. Of course, statutory consultees will…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillThe right hon. Gentleman reminds me of our time sparring at the Dispatch Box, but I am glad that I am on the Government side now. [ Interruption. ] I beg to differ. The right hon.…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillThe Bill is about how we can do nature recovery and protect nature. We think that it is a win-win. Under the previous Government, all sorts of problems held us up, and we tried to…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillI hope that the hon. Member continues to engage, because we want to make sure that we can go as wide as we possibly can so that we get the land that is needed and we can build the…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillI thank my hon. Friend for raising that long-standing issue. The Government are already engaging with the local authority in her area. She is absolutely right: for too long the…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Employment Rights BillI beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time. I refer hon. Members to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests and declare that I am a lifelong proud…12 Mar 2025HANSARD Point of OrderFurther to that point of order, Madam Deputy Speaker. Can I assure the House that no one has had a preview? The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is coming to the House. Of course,…11 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsMy hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise that issue. We acknowledge that there has been criticism of some homes delivered through permitted development rights—particularly…03 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsIn a written ministerial statement on 21 November, the Government committed to taking steps to bring the feudal leasehold system to an end and to reinvigorate commonhold to make…03 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsIt is staggering that the shadow Secretary of State says that, given that so many people now cannot get housing because his Government failed to meet their housing targets. We…03 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsI am sorry to hear about that particular case, and I am happy to meet the hon. Member to get the details; absolutely, listed buildings are an important part of our landscape.03 Mar 2025