Monday Volume 599 14 September 2015 No. 43 HOUSE OF COMMONS OFFICIAL REPORT PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES (HANSARD) Monday 14 September 2015 £5·00 © Parliamentary Copyright House of Commons 2015 This publication may be reproduced under the terms of the Open Parliament licence, which is published at www.parliament.uk/site-information/copyright/. 739 14 SEPTEMBER 2015 740 a Secretary of State to determine them. It is very good House of Commons that the authorities across the west midlands are coming together and working so well. Monday 14 September 2015 Mrs Maria Miller (Basingstoke) (Con): The great county of Hampshire has submitted a compelling bid The House met at half-past Two o’clock for devolution. Does the Secretary of State agree that further devolution could be pivotal in unlocking further PRAYERS economic potential in the southern powerhouse as well as the northern powerhouse? [MR SPEAKER in the Chair] Greg Clark: I do agree. “Powerhouse” is an apt description, because the economy of the south and the Oral Answers to Questions part of Hampshire that my right hon. Friend represents is really firing on all cylinders. I remember launching the growth deal there, where the new centre for 5G COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT technology is up and running, creating many thousands of jobs. The Secretary of State was asked— Mr Dennis Skinner (Bolsover) (Lab): When the Minister brags about devolution proposals for local government, Devolution Deal why does he not do the decent thing and say to local 1. Peter Heaton-Jones (North Devon) (Con): What government that the coalition Government and this one support his Department is providing to areas seeking a have taken up to 40% off local authorities? Pay that devolution deal. [901296] money back, and then you can start work. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Greg Clark: During the recess I had a very cordial Government (Greg Clark): May I wish Shanah Tovah to and constructive meeting with the leader of the hon. all Members, and to those in the wider community, who Gentleman’s local authority in Derbyshire, and the one are celebrating the Jewish new year? May I also say how accord that we had is that the progress that the coalition relieved I am to see that an Opposition Front Bench Government made in transferring powers from London team willing to serve has turned up today? and Westminster to the regions has been one of the This one-nation Government are determined to devolve contributory factors to the revival of the regions. power to every part of the country—town and country. In response to our invitation, 38 areas have submitted Steve Double (St Austell and Newquay) (Con): Does proposals for devolved powers and budgets. We will my right hon. Friend agree that the recent announcement work with every area over the coming months to negotiate of the historic devolution deal for Cornwall is a clear transformational devolution deals. demonstration of this Government’s commitment not Peter Heaton-Jones: I thank the Secretary of State only to the devolution agenda but to a one-nation for his answer on this most auspicious day. approach to our economy? North Devon District Council and other local authorities in Devon and Somerset have submitted an expression of Greg Clark: It certainly is. I pay tribute to my hon. interest to the Government for combined authority Friend and to his colleagues in Cornwall who were status—a move that I welcome. Will the Secretary of absolutely instrumental in securing that deal. I was State join me in welcoming it? Does he agree that delighted to travel down there with the Prime Minister granting greater regional powers is in the spirit of to celebrate it, and indeed to do so over a pint of greater devolution for people in the south-west? Tribute with him that very evening. Greg Clark: I do welcome it. I read the proposals Jon Trickett (Hemsworth) (Lab): The right hon. from councils and businesses in Devon and Somerset. Gentleman mentioned Opposition Front Benchers. Let One of the benefits of devolved funding would be that me say this: we are ready, willing and able to take the infrastructure decisions were increasingly made locally. fight to Ministers and eventually to drive them out of I know that the north Devon link road is close to my office. hon. Friend’s heart. In fact, I heard him talk about it on Radio Devon, and so confident is he that this investment The country is far too centralised, and there is clearly, will be made that he has invited Her Majesty the Queen because politics is not working, a political imperative to come and open it next year. That is the kind of on all of us to seek proper devolution. Devolution tied positive thinking we need. to spending cuts simply does not work. Ms Gisela Stuart (Birmingham, Edgbaston) (Lab): It is great that the Government heeded, belatedly, the On the devolution deal, does the Secretary of State take call to allow some more refugees into our country—we a view on what these new authorities should call themselves? welcome that. Local government and devolved local “Combined west midlands authority”is rather a mouthful, government came up to the mark straight away, with and I would much rather have “Greater Birmingham”. over 60 councils immediately coming forward. What discussions has the Secretary of State had with local Greg Clark: I think the nuance with which the hon. councils about how to deal with this incredibly important Lady asked her question answers it for her. It is better matter? Will the Government now hold the national for local people to make these decisions rather than for summit that we have been calling for? 741 Oral Answers14 SEPTEMBER 2015 Oral Answers 742 Greg Clark: I welcome the shadow Secretary of State Alex Chalk: Does my hon. Friend agree that it is to his post. Members will recall that he was once particularly important to encourage investment in Parliamentary Private Secretary to Peter Mandelson, brownfield land where the site in question, such as and Tony Blair once said that his project would not be Springbank shopping centre and the former Carlton complete until Labour learned to love Peter Mandelson. Street post office in my constituency, is a local eyesore I wonder whether the hon. Gentleman will update us on that attracts graffiti and other antisocial behaviour? how that is progressing. I welcome the hon. Gentleman’s support for devolution. James Wharton: My hon. Friend makes an important I have found it possible to work on the most cordial point. We want brownfield land to be brought back into terms with Labour authority leaders as well as Conservatives use and for homes to be built on it. I am sure that my up and down the country, and I hope we will have a hon. Friend, as a diligent constituency MP, will make constructive working relationship. the case for individual sites in his area. This Government are committed to delivering the houses needed in the The hon. Gentleman will know that the Home Secretary right places across the country. and I chaired a Cabinet Committee meeting on Syria at which the Local Government Association was represented. Andrew Stephenson: Greenfield sites across Pendle This morning I spoke to the head of the LGA and, are under threat because the new Lib Dem and Labour indeed, the Labour leader of Blackpool Council, who administration of Pendle Borough Council has abandoned told me that local government collectively was working plans to spend the £1.5 million allocated for brownfield very well with central Government to make sure that we regeneration under the previous Administration. What deliver the commitment that has been given. more can the Department do to support the people of Pendle and to help fulfil their wish that brownfield is Jon Trickett: In terms of loving people, the Chancellor always developed ahead of greenfield? of the Exchequer has a long way to go to encourage people to love him. James Wharton: The Government are setting up a When the Government indicated that funding would brownfield fund, with £1 billion, and are introducing be made available to local councils to help refugees and the brownfield register. We have an expectation that resolve the refugee problems, it was clear that only a homes will be built, because the country needs them, one-year financial deal was on offer. Will the Secretary and that they will be built in the right places, particularly of State guarantee that the Chancellor will provide on brownfield sites. My hon. Friend makes a very enough money over the five years of this Parliament to important point on behalf of individual sites in his help councils to deal with the crisis, because the current constituency about the approach of his local authority. financial offer is simply inadequate? I am sure it will have heard him loud and clear on a matter that his constituents will be very keen to see Greg Clark: That is not the case. The one-year resolved. commitment is what is allowed under the official development assistance rules. The point of including Rebecca Harris: I welcome the Government’s redoubled our local government colleagues in the ministerial group commitment to support the development of brownfield designing the approach is to make sure that every aspect sites. Does the Minister agree that, with the help of the of the funding required is addressed. We will do that Government’s new measures and extra effort by local consensually with local government. authorities, brownfield sites can be developed more quickly and easily than by leaving large areas of green belt to be developed by large-unit developers, whose Brownfield Land business model is not resulting in many houses? 2.