Contributions
953 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARD Derbyshire County CouncilI am grateful to my hon. Friend for the upbeat fillip, which we needed to hear from a representative of Derbyshire. I am delighted to hear that her constituents —and I suggest…23 Apr 2024HANSARD Derbyshire County CouncilI thank the hon. Gentleman for securing this debate. A competition of trying to judge the difference between him and a ray of sunshine would not be difficult to engage in, because…23 Apr 2024HANSARDTopical QuestionsThis is a tremendously serious issue. My Department and other Government Departments, led by the Security Minister in the Home Office, are spending a huge amount of time, effort…22 Apr 2024HANSARDGovernment Funding: Local AuthoritiesThe hon. Lady is right to point to the need to review the formula, which is a commitment for the next Parliament. She will probably be aware—I hope she is—of the £8.9 million…22 Apr 2024HANSARDGovernment Funding: Local AuthoritiesMy hon. Friend is absolutely right. We should never lose an opportunity to trumpet our thanks to people like Trevor, Christine and all our volunteers up and down the country who…22 Apr 2024HANSARDCost of Public Services: Coastal AreasCornwall is one of the most beautiful areas of the country, second only to Dorset. [ Interruption. ] Thank you. It has the longest county coastline in England and, as such, its…22 Apr 2024HANSARDCost of Public Services: Coastal AreasAs the hon. Lady will know, the rural services delivery grant tries to reflect that as well, but if only the Lib Dem leadership of her council had got on—as Dorset did—and…22 Apr 2024HANSARDGovernment Funding: Local AuthoritiesThe hon. Gentleman wins first prize in the brass neck of the afternoon competition; I remind him gently and politely about the situation in Birmingham. It is well known by…22 Apr 2024HANSARDGovernment Funding: Local AuthoritiesMy right hon. Friend makes a powerful point, and I know St Peter’s Hospital pretty well from a previous life. The Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and…22 Apr 2024HANSARDGovernment Funding: Local AuthoritiesEach planning authority has a quasi-judicial role to adjudge planning applications against national and local plans, and I have every confidence that planning committees up and…22 Apr 2024HANSARDCost of Public Services: Coastal AreasSecond most beautiful, I remind my hon. Friend. He makes an important point, representing as he does his constituents and the wider county of Cornwall, and an interesting…22 Apr 2024HANSARDGovernment Funding: Local AuthoritiesIn answer to the hon. Lady’s question, we make continuous assessment with regard to the adequacy of funding. In this financial year we have made £64.7 billion available to local…22 Apr 2024HANSARD Citizens’ Assemblies and Local DemocracyI am not entirely sure that the hon. Lady has helped her cause with that further amplification of what she means by citizens’ assemblies. The point that the right hon. Member for…16 Apr 2024HANSARD Citizens’ Assemblies and Local DemocracyThe hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. We do ourselves no service, as a group of people called to this particular strand of vocational public service, if we try to set ourselves…16 Apr 2024HANSARD Citizens’ Assemblies and Local DemocracyAlmost as if the right hon. Gentleman had been pre-timed, he is on his feet. I give way.16 Apr 2024HANSARD Citizens’ Assemblies and Local DemocracyThe right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right, and I would add that another thing they are not is accountable. We are accountable: we are accountable in a society with a free press…16 Apr 2024HANSARD Citizens’ Assemblies and Local DemocracyThe right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. One of the great strengths of single-issue pressure groups is that they bring a whole wealth and range of in-depth knowledge on a…16 Apr 2024HANSARD Citizens’ Assemblies and Local DemocracyIt is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms Vaz, and to reply to the debate ably introduced by the hon. Member for Oldham East and Saddleworth (Debbie Abrahams). Let me…16 Apr 2024HANSARDLevelling Up, Housing and CommunitiesThere is a very long list of qualifying documentation for voter ID, and at least 96% of all electors have at least one form of acceptable ID, and many have more. There is also the…15 Apr 2024HANSARDLevelling Up, Housing and CommunitiesThere is a very long list of qualifying documentation for voter ID, and 99% of all voters have at least one form of acceptable ID, and many have more. There is also the voter…15 Apr 2024