Contributions
1,006 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDTopical QuestionsThis Government are acutely aware of the impact of the cost of living crisis on working people, and that is firmly in our sights as we approach the spending review this week, but…28 Oct 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsMay I welcome the Chair of the Select Committee to her place? She will do an outstanding job for local government and housing. The Government absolutely understand how difficult…28 Oct 2024HANSARDLocal Authority FundingCouncils across the country, of all political stripes, work hard to deliver vital public services in our country. We know that 14 years of mounting pressure is biting hard. We are…28 Oct 2024HANSARDLocal Authority FundingI thank the hon. Member for meeting me at one of our regular drop-in sessions. His concern is reflected across the country. Local communities recognise that their council is being…28 Oct 2024HANSARDLocal Authority FundingWe will of course publish a White Paper on the English devolution Bill. It will set out an ambitious programme for a power shift from this place and Whitehall to combined…28 Oct 2024HANSARDLocal Authority FundingLike every Member of the House, my hon. Friend will know that those 14 years have taken their toll, and that it will take more than three months to repair that, but we are…28 Oct 2024HANSARDLocal Authority FundingWe always say that local government is paid for one way or the other: either we pay at the front-end through fair funding being fairly distributed across the country, or we pay at…28 Oct 2024HANSARDLocal Authority FundingI recognise that, in large part, children’s services are the funding pressures that are driving council budgets. We cannot forget, though, that behind every one of those numbers…28 Oct 2024HANSARDLocal Authority FundingWe did see the former Prime Minister taking great credit for essentially shifting money from primarily urban and deprived communities into rural shires in an overtly political…28 Oct 2024HANSARDLocal Authority FundingAny decisions related to the Budget will be taken at the appropriate time, as will any decisions on the local government finance settlement. What I can say, though, is that this…28 Oct 2024HANSARDLocal Government Interventions: Birmingham and SloughAll hon. Members will recognise the importance of having well-functioning local councils which provide essential statutory services local residents rely upon. Local councils must…22 Oct 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsI pay tribute to my hon. Friend for the work he did in local government, and as chair of the LGA, to make sure that the sector spoke with one voice and worked in collaboration…02 Sept 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsI am very happy to have a meeting, probably next week, on that issue.02 Sept 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsI thank my hon. Friend for her question, and for her work on the agenda to further devolution in her region. We recognise that in some parts of the country, including Hull and…02 Sept 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsWe will absolutely ensure that the true cost of public service delivery is accounted for in different parts of the country and in different local authorities—that will be part of…02 Sept 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsWe are well under way in reviewing the consultations that are currently taking place and all the devolution agreements that were not tabled before the election. I am very happy to…02 Sept 2024HANSARDCouncil FundingI know at first hand how hard councils work to deliver essential public services, and we want to thank councillors, council officials and council workers for the hard work that…02 Sept 2024HANSARDCouncil FundingThe English devolution Bill is a landmark piece of legislation that will finally address the imbalance of power between this place and communities up and down the country, but it…02 Sept 2024HANSARDCouncil FundingAny fair funding formula of course has to address the range of challenges that local authorities face, whether that is their local tax base, and how much they can realistically…02 Sept 2024HANSARDCouncil FundingLocal councils are central to delivering on this Government’s missions, and to changing this country for the better, but we know that many of them are on a cliff edge financially,…02 Sept 2024