Contributions
869 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)Will the shadow Minister give way?16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)I thank the hon. Member for Brighton Pavilion for tabling new clause 19. I have a lot of sympathy and support for the concept of citizens assemblies, so I have sympathy for the…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)There are two issues with the amendment. First, we believe that it could create an inconsistency between the powers of mayoral combined authorities and their equivalents elsewhere…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)Business organisations, whether small businesses, the Confederation of British Industry or chambers of commerce, will inevitably be around the table when a mayor worth their salt…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)We are clear that the duty to collaborate will include a wide range of partners. We are going through a process of engaging with and consulting mayors to make sure that in…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)We will specify in secondary legislation the range of local partners, based on feedback from mayors. Again, this is not compulsion; we think it is really important that civic…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)I do not want to drag out this debate any further, but I think the hon. Gentleman is over-egging this. This is a duty to collaborate; it is not about decision making. Any mayor…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)We are clear that if a mayor is serious about driving economic outcomes in a way that works for their community, they must collaborate with a set of partners. That 100% includes…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)I note that amendments 297 and 298 relate only to the mayors of combined authorities and combined county authorities, not to the Mayor of London. That inconsistency runs contrary…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)Yes. Where a local transport authority exists, the power will essentially be conferred on it. We will discuss the detail of the regulatory framework when we come to schedule 5. I…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)The clause gives the Secretary of State the ability to empower local authorities to license on-street micromobility services, such as dockless cycle schemes, operating in their…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)The clause gives the ability to empower local authorities.16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)I thank the hon. Lady for tabling the amendment. I have a lot of sympathy for the principle behind it. The framework that we have set out is necessarily broad in scope to capture…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Sixth sitting)I am delighted to serve under your chairship, Ms Vaz. It is great that there is broad support across the House for this schedule. We have introduced this framework to tackle…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Sixth sitting)Schedule 5 sets out the details on giving the Secretary of State the ability to empower local authorities to license on-street micromobility services, such as dockless cycle…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Sixth sitting)I thank hon. Members for their contributions and the support for the schedule. In response to the questions raised about additional types of vehicles on the road that are of a…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Sixth sitting)I refer the hon. Gentleman to the national planning policy framework, which tries to encourage and incentivise the use of previously developed land, and to make sure that within…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Sixth sitting)I agree with the hon. Lady’s broader point. There is absolutely a piece for us to think about regarding energy infrastructure. Having served as Minister for energy consumers,…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Sixth sitting)I thank the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon for her constructive and helpful amendment 252. In principle, the ability to integrate a land use framework and energy plan at the…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Sixth sitting)The Government agree that we need to streamline and simplify the planning process, making it much quicker and smoother. I will again put on the record that the previous Government…16 Oct 2025