Contributions
2,441 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Council TaxI say to the right hon. Gentleman that we are not talking about council tax bands in this urgent question; we are talking about the thresholds that remain in place. We are…14 Nov 2024HANSARD Council TaxI thank my hon. Friend for that point, and I will relay it to the Local Government Minister. On the general principle, we are determined to rebuild local government from the…14 Nov 2024HANSARD Council TaxThe Government certainly recognise the pressures on local authorities and the burdens placed on households as a result of 14 years in which local government was run down. We are…14 Nov 2024HANSARD Council TaxI thank the Chair of the Select Committee for that question. She is absolutely right; after 14 years of the previous Government’s record in office, local government is on its…14 Nov 2024HANSARD Council TaxSince the 2012-13 financial year, local authorities, fire authorities, and police and crime commissioners have been required to determine whether the amount of council tax they…14 Nov 2024HANSARD Council TaxI thank the hon. Gentleman for his questions. Let me take them in turn. The Government are committed to a fair funding settlement for local government. We will set out further…14 Nov 2024HANSARD Council TaxI am more than happy to commit the Local Government Minister to a meeting with my hon. Friend.14 Nov 2024HANSARD Council TaxNo, that is not the case. We are maintaining the policy of the previous Government, which, as per the OBR forecast, estimated that £1.8 billion will be raised through council tax.…14 Nov 2024HANSARD Council TaxAs I have made clear, we do not recognise the £2.4 billion figure. It fails to take into account increases that I have already mentioned, such as the £300 million increase in…14 Nov 2024HANSARD Council TaxMy hon. Friend makes a good point. I extend the Government’s appreciation to all local government leaders—I mean that in a cross-party spirit—for what they have done to keep…14 Nov 2024HANSARD Council TaxMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. Labour councils charge less on average than Tory councils, and the councils with the lowest rates of council tax are all Labour. Council tax…14 Nov 2024HANSARDHousing Design and QualityThe Government are committed to building 1.5 million new homes over the next five years, but we have also been clear that increasing house building rates cannot mean units at any…12 Nov 2024HANSARDRenters' Rights Bill (Seventh sitting)Unless the hon. Gentleman is pressing his amendment simply to make a political point, I ask him gently: what outcomes are we seeking? He wants to bring MOD accommodation up to the…05 Nov 2024HANSARDRenters' Rights Bill (Seventh sitting)That is a very reasonable question. If the hon. Member will allow me, I will come back to him via written correspondence. In drafting the clause— I am raking my memory for our…05 Nov 2024HANSARDRenters' Rights Bill (Seventh sitting)I hope that the hon. Lady will appreciate that I cannot, as a Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Minister, give her that commitment in Committee today, but we…05 Nov 2024HANSARDRenters' Rights Bill (Seventh sitting)I will begin by addressing clauses 100 and 101, and I will then turn to amendment 41, which was tabled by the hon. Member for Bristol Central. Clauses 100 and 101 make provision…05 Nov 2024HANSARDRenters' Rights Bill (Seventh sitting)These provisions deal with financial penalties. Schedule 5 sets out the process for a local housing authority to impose a financial penalty on a person and applies to clauses 39,…05 Nov 2024HANSARDRenters' Rights Bill (Seventh sitting)We have been in office for a little over 120 days, so the hon. Gentleman will forgive us for not publishing information about every action that we are taking. I will make him this…05 Nov 2024HANSARDRenters' Rights Bill (Seventh sitting)I give way to the hon. Member for Taunton and Wellington.05 Nov 2024HANSARDRenters' Rights Bill (Seventh sitting)I will respond briefly, partly because a number of the issues raised are outside my ministerial responsibility. I commit to replying in writing to the points raised in relation to…05 Nov 2024