Contributions
387 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Seventh sitting)It is a pleasure to have you back in the Chair today, Sir John. I support the clause and schedule 14. It is really important that we have devolved fundraising powers, and this is…21 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Seventh sitting)I rise to speak to my new clause 29 and new schedule 1, which seek to replace clause 38 and schedule 19. They would replace local growth plans with inclusive economy plans, which,…21 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Seventh sitting)On a point of clarification, I recognise that the Minister has set out that the local nature recovery strategies will have to be regarded, and also that local growth plans will be…21 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Seventh sitting)That is a good question. Where there are opportunities to develop new industries and new jobs and create new economic activity, my new schedule enables local communities such as…21 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Seventh sitting)Is the hon. Member really saying that that he is against asking the people of a local area what would constitute a good economy for them and making that the focus of the mayor’s…21 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Seventh sitting)Apart from seeking views, there is a requirement in the amendment to share draft proposals and the evidence base. Does the hon. Member consider that to be an important part of…21 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Eighth sitting)Will the Minister clarify how the list in clause 43 as it stands was put together? It is bizarre that the use of tobacco and those kind of lifestyle choices are somehow explicitly…21 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Eighth sitting)I will withdraw the amendment for now, but I hope we see some measures coming through from the Minister, particularly in regulations. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.…21 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Eighth sitting)I beg to move amendment 255, in clause 43, page 44, line 40, at end insert— “ 107ZC Health and Wellbeing in All Policies Strategy (1) A combined authority must prepare and publish…21 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Eighth sitting)Amendments 255 and 256 would add a health and wellbeing in all policies strategy to the requirements of the Bill. Life expectancy in England has stalled since 2010, something that…21 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Eighth sitting)I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Amendment proposed : 259, in clause 43, page 45, line 25, at end insert— “(e) access to green space…21 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Eighth sitting)I have a broad interest in this group of measures. First, I will raise some issues with the clause as a whole; then I will speak to new clause 53, and then new clauses 32 and 33…21 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Eighth sitting)Will the Minister take this opportunity to urge those mayors who are seeking greater powers to continue to do so, and to talk about it in the public sphere, as they have done?21 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)I take the hon. Member’s intervention in good spirit. I will talk about the ability of a standing citizens assembly not simply to react—even voting, at the end of a mayor’s term,…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mr Stuart—my huge apologies for arriving late to proceedings. I want principally to talk about new clause 19, in my name, which…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)When I was a local councillor, we spent tens of thousands of pounds on a citizens assembly—again, that was to look at climate measures and issues around reducing traffic and air…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)That is a good question. Certainly, the evidence from the citizens assembly that was commissioned by Parliament to look at climate change has been extensively used by the Climate…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)The new clause specifies that an assembly would consider “relevant local matters” and that those are matters that would be agreed between the mayor and the assembly. Any sensible…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)No, because I need to get to end of my sentence. I intend to explain how citizens assemblies are different. Citizens assemblies are not town hall meetings, and they are not a…16 Oct 2025HANSARDEnglish Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill (Fifth sitting)Has the hon. Member considered the occasional lack of involvement in those groups by a genuine cross-section of the community, and how a citizens assembly could directly address…16 Oct 2025