Contributions
869 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillThe hon. Member is completely right. There is a gap, and we are putting in this provision for a neighbourhood governance structure across the country to address that gap. Many…27 Apr 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI absolutely agree that communities are a fundamental level. Part of the reason we are putting in place a neighbourhood governance structure is to address the point that my hon.…27 Apr 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI was just coming to the hon. Member’s earlier contributions. We absolutely want to move at the pace at which our most ambitious and fastest-moving places want to move. We…27 Apr 2026HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI am always very happy to commit my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing to any meeting that my hon. Friends would like. We are very keen to meet in advance of the NPPF biting.…27 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillWe have a policy that wherever there are new powers—whether they are conferred to local authorities or combined authorities—the new burdens principle is in place. In designing…21 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI thank my hon. Friend for asking an important question, and for his ongoing engagement in this area. Let me take his question in the context of what we are trying to do through…21 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI disagree with the hon. Gentleman, because the issue is still the responsibility of the local authority. The amendment is trying to get to those specific cases where the local…21 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillWe will be learning insights from Edinburgh and the other places that have applied the provision, and we will be providing further details and guidance on how it could work. In…21 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillThe question of unitarisation is being dealt with. Applications have been made and the Government are going through the process and looking at the objective criteria. No doubt the…21 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI will make a little more progress first. We also expanded the definition of previously developed land in the framework to include large areas of hardstanding, better reflecting…21 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI am not going to resile from the fact that we want to build more homes, Madam Deputy Speaker. We have a housing crisis, and we absolutely need to build more homes across the…21 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI will make progress, if I may. Lords amendments 26 and 89 seek to specify that mayors, combined authorities and combined county authorities may designate greenfield land for…21 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI will make progress. I am happy to give the House a commitment that the Government will not commence these ministerial powers of direction for two years following Royal Assent,…21 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillAs my hon. Friend says, Lord amendment 41, with Lords amendment 95, would place the agent of change principle on a statutory footing in the planning and licensing and statutory…21 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI will have to make progress in case I incur the wrath of Madam Deputy Speaker. Finally, Lords amendments 85, 86, 97 to 116, 120 and 121 and 123 collectively seek to remove the…21 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillWhether it is in the planning system or in other systems, in instances where we have a contentious situation and disagreement because a local authority has not discharged its…21 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI will come back to that point, because it relates to an amendment that I would like to speak to, but I want to fully address the point that has been made about call-in powers…21 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillWith the leave of the House, I will close what has been a considered and insightful debate. Many hard-working communities in this country have been neglected for far too long.…21 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillThis Government were elected with a clear mandate to deliver change, but to deliver change that people can see and feel, we must empower our communities. We are therefore…21 Apr 2026HANSARD English Devolution and Community Empowerment BillI will make progress. For that reason, we cannot accept the amendment from the other place. The Government’s provisions are intended to bring greater clarity and consistency to…21 Apr 2026