Contributions
869 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD 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 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 BillI will not give away, but I will pick up the hon. Member’s point about local government reorganisation. In his defence, he has been consistent on this throughout all these…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 Community-owned Assets: Government SupportThere are two things I would say: there is the programme and we have just announced another 40 places; and there are more parts of the country that are in need of support. With…20 Apr 2026HANSARD Community-owned Assets: Government SupportWe are committed to working with all councils, which we know are under huge pressure, to ensure that they are sustainable and that they can do the fundamental work that we need…20 Apr 2026HANSARD Community-owned Assets: Government SupportBut funding alone is not enough, as my right hon. Friend pointed out. Communities also need stronger rights. Too often, valued local assets are sold off, left empty or lost…20 Apr 2026HANSARD Community-owned Assets: Government SupportWe have had this exchange at the Dispatch Box previously; the Government embarked on local government reorganisation as a point of necessity, not because we either desired it or…20 Apr 2026HANSARD Community-owned Assets: Government SupportI thank my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford East (Anneliese Dodds) for securing this debate, for speaking with such conviction about the importance of community-owned…20 Apr 2026HANSARD Coastal Communities: Start BayI am grateful to the hon. Member for South Devon (Caroline Voaden) for securing this important debate. I start by saying that the Government absolutely understand and sympathise…24 Mar 2026HANSARD Water Supply and Housing Targets: West KentI thank the right hon. Member for Tonbridge (Tom Tugendhat) for securing this debate and other hon. Members for their contributions. I appreciate the concerns raised around the…24 Mar 2026HANSARD Water Supply and Housing Targets: West KentThe hon. Lady makes an important point. It is a challenge, but our job is to work across Government and the different agencies, and with the water companies, to rise to the…24 Mar 2026HANSARD Water Supply and Housing Targets: West KentI will make more progress. The lack of water infrastructure is blocking our capacity to deliver more homes and is resulting in water outages such as those in west Kent. That is a…24 Mar 2026HANSARD Water Supply and Housing Targets: West KentIn the short term, the priority is to make sure that the company has a viable plan so that we can deliver the homes that we want. The approach that the taskforce has taken in…24 Mar 2026HANSARD Coastal Communities: Start BayThe hon. Member is right. We are acutely aware that the landscape is incredibly complex and has evolved over time. We are trying to work at a local authority level, but,…24 Mar 2026HANSARD Water Supply and Housing Targets: West KentOn that specific point, our methodology is trying to strike a balance, where we think there is both need for homes and the capacity to build those homes. I absolutely acknowledge…24 Mar 2026HANSARD Water Supply and Housing Targets: West KentLet me address that point directly. We are clear that we are not building enough homes across every part of the country, and we are trying to ensure that the system delivers.…24 Mar 2026HANSARD Coastal Communities: Start BayWe are very alive to the cost of inaction in the context of not just coastal erosion, but climate change more broadly. We are very clear that we need to take robust action to…24 Mar 2026HANSARDDelivering for CommunitiesToday I can confirm a major package of support for communities to take control of their future. This includes £301 million to reimagine and revive struggling high streets through…23 Mar 2026HANSARDDraft Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority Regulations 2026I thank Members for the cross-party support for both devolution and the regulations. This is an important step forward for the area, and I am glad it is being done with our…23 Mar 2026