Contributions
1,571 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDPrime Minister: Meeting with First Ministers of the Devolved GovernmentsI am not sure I can specifically answer that at the Dispatch Box, but there are now mechanisms, as part of the review of intergovernmental relations, to ensure we have the…08 Jun 2022HANSARDPrime Minister: Meeting with First Ministers of the Devolved GovernmentsAll I can say in response is that I understand where the noble Lord is coming from. I realise there has been some expenditure, but my right honourable friend can determine whether…08 Jun 2022HANSARDPrime Minister: Meeting with First Ministers of the Devolved GovernmentsI take the point that the noble Lord has made on a number of occasions. It is clearly an important issue to maintain the union. The devolution settlement set out those…08 Jun 2022HANSARDPrime Minister: Meeting with First Ministers of the Devolved GovernmentsClearly, it is important to get a census right. On a normal basis, that is completed every 10 years. I am sure there will be an opportunity to discuss these matters as part of the…08 Jun 2022HANSARDPrime Minister: Meeting with First Ministers of the Devolved GovernmentsI am sure they will have those discussions but, as I said in a previous answer, 20% more has been spent on the Welsh Government per person, as part of the spending review 2021. In…08 Jun 2022HANSARDPrime Minister: Meeting with First Ministers of the Devolved GovernmentsI am sure there will be every opportunity to point to the strength of the union. I think the Platinum Jubilee celebrations were an absolute triumph; my favourite was breakfast…08 Jun 2022HANSARDPrime Minister: Meeting with First Ministers of the Devolved GovernmentsWell, I was forewarned that the written response that I gave would not exactly be popular with Members on all sides of the House. All I can say is that it is not for my right…08 Jun 2022HANSARDPrime Minister: Meeting with First Ministers of the Devolved GovernmentsThere is a commitment to invest in Wales and we have seen so far, as part of the 2021 spending review, 20% more per person for the Welsh Government. I am sure that we will…08 Jun 2022HANSARDPrime Minister: Meeting with First Ministers of the Devolved GovernmentsMy Lords, the new Prime Minister and heads of devolved Governments council commits to meeting at least annually as part of the Review of Intergovernmental Relations published in…08 Jun 2022HANSARDSocial Homes for RentI recognise that there are issues with shared ownership tenure. One of the problems has been that many shared owners own only a small amount of the equity and are often faced with…26 May 2022HANSARDSocial Homes for RentI thank my noble friend for raising that issue. Of course, we went through an era of liberalisation around change of use from office to residential, and that is a factor that…26 May 2022HANSARDSocial Homes for RentWe try to set specific, measurable and achievable targets. I do not want to trade statistics, but I point out that in the last decade, we have seen local authorities once again…26 May 2022HANSARDSocial Homes for RentWe do recognise that the perennial issue of bed blocking . It is important to get the balance of who accesses social housing, with proper regard for people who require wheelchair…26 May 2022HANSARDSocial Homes for RentWe have a commitment here, specifically within the affordable homes programme, to build more homes for social rent. We have also introduced a number of mechanisms that enable…26 May 2022HANSARDSocial Homes for RentThe provision of affordable housing is a central pillar of the Government’s plan to level up the country, which is why we are investing £11.5 billion in affordable homes over the…26 May 2022HANSARDSocial Homes for RentAs the noble Baroness indicates, we have just carried out a consultation on raising accessible housing standards, and I shall write to her to give more details on that point.26 May 2022HANSARDSocial Homes for RentThe noble Lord is right that we have seen a spiralling increase in housing benefit costs—staggering increases over the past decade or so. Of course, taking poor-quality private…26 May 2022HANSARDSocial Homes for RentI have some sympathy with the point that the noble Baroness makes, but we should point out that there are now greater flexibilities around right-to-buy receipts—not necessarily…26 May 2022HANSARDSocial Homes for RentWe do recognise that we have an ageing society, which is why a chunk of the £11.5 billion affordable homes programme will go towards subsidising housing for the elderly. We…26 May 2022HANSARDSocial Homes for RentThe noble Lord is always on the money. We need to create places and not just homes on mono-tenured estates. That is why the affordable homes programme is looking to increase the…26 May 2022