Contributions
2,740 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDBirmingham City CouncilI thank the Minister for advance sight of the statement. I am sure that the fact that both my right hon. Friend the Member for Sutton Coldfield (Mr Mitchell) and I tabled an…31 Mar 2025HANSARD Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill (changed to Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers) Bill)On a point of detail, the Minister says the Bill is a “first step”, so will there be further reforms, following these reforms, to the rest of the business rates system to meet his…25 Mar 2025HANSARD Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill (changed to Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers) Bill)The Minister has already said, as he has in previous speeches, that this is a “first step”, but now he says it is a “permanent” measure. I agree with him that business wants…25 Mar 2025HANSARD Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill (changed to Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers) Bill)What would the hon. Gentleman say to businesses that are trying to make their numbers add up? In its manifesto and previously, the promise—the commitment—of the Labour party was…25 Mar 2025HANSARD Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill (changed to Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers) Bill)I thank the Minister for his explanation of the Lords amendments. We shall not agree, and I will explain why. I thank the Lords for their careful consideration of the Bill; in…25 Mar 2025HANSARD Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers and Private Schools) Bill (changed to Non-Domestic Rating (Multipliers) Bill)My right hon. and learned Friend makes a very good point. These are difficult times. As she knows, I was in business for 30 years, and we go through some difficult times. Many…25 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillI am pleased to lead the response on behalf of the Opposition, and I draw the House’s attention to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests, which includes more…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillMy hon. Friend is right to spot that requirement, and we will certainly be considering that when we table amendments to the Bill. We believe it is completely inappropriate that…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillMy hon. Friend is absolutely right to raise that point. The increase in this country’s population is part of the reason why we have a rising need for housing, as well as for…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillThat is absolute nonsense. Talking of confidence, according to a monthly survey by the Institute of Directors, business confidence in this country has collapsed since Labour took…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillMy right hon. Friend is absolutely right. What have the Deputy Prime Minister and the Chancellor got against first-time buyers? We helped 1 million first-time buyers to get on the…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillWe could talk with the Minister for Housing and Planning, the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Matthew Pennycook) about making such amendments to the legislation as it…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillMy right hon. Friend raises a very important point. Constituencies such as his and mine that include those protected landscapes do not seem to have that considered or catered for…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillIt is right to say that the vast majority of applications are consented to by planning committees. Removing councillors’ right to vote on them is absolutely the wrong thing to do,…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillHow is what the Minister is saying consistent with what he said on the Floor of the House on 9 December, when he said: “the changes are designed to… focus the time of elected…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillI do not disagree that there were some flaws in the scheme. Nevertheless, around 340,000 people made it on to the housing ladder through that process. They include people in my…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillI can guarantee that we will support measures that we think will be successful. The hon. Gentleman brings up some of the work we tried to do in the previous Parliament, some of…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillI will give way a final time, and then I will make some progress, if I can.24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillI agree with that, and I made the same point from the Back Benches on many occasions, including about Labour-run York, which has just put a local plan in place for the first time…24 Mar 2025HANSARD Planning and Infrastructure BillThe hon. Gentleman fails to acknowledge that there were quite a few different housing Ministers during Labour’s previous tenure as well, but he makes an interesting and important…24 Mar 2025