argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Property Purchase Schemes — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Ben Howlett (Conservative, Centre-right): I am pleased to say that hundreds of families in my constituency, and in the local authority area of North East Somerset, have benefited from the Help to Buy and Right to Buy schemes, but young families still cannot get on to the housing ladder because of the high cost of housing. Will the Secretary of State meet me, and other Members whose constituencies contain high-value areas, and will he undertake to roll out the two-for-one guarantee in those areas?
Property Purchase Schemes — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I will certainly meet my hon. Friend and his colleagues. It is essential for homes to be built in every community, so that young people and rising generations throughout the country have a chance to continue to be part of the communities in which they were born and raised.
Private Rented Sector — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): I believe that all tenants should have a safe place in which to live. In the Housing and Planning Bill, the Government have introduced the strongest ever set of measures to protect tenants and ensure that landlords provide good-quality, safe accommodation.
Private Rented Sector — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady is right, in that local authorities should be using the powers that they have. As I have said, there is already a requirement for properties to be fit and proper, and she may wish to welcome the extra £5 million that we have added to the £6.7 million that we have already invested to support it. However, if she looks at the changes in the operation of fines in the Housing and Planning Bill, she will see that the amount of resources for local government will be beyond anything that we have ever seen before, and certainly beyond anything that the Labour Government ever did.
Private Rented Sector — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend has a wealth of experience in this field, and, as always, he speaks with great common sense and logic. Local authorities should be using the powers that they have. By far the majority of landlords provide a good service, but authorities should be using those powers to crack down on the rogue landlords whom all of us, including good landlords, want to see driven out of the system.
Private Rented Sector — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Stewart Jackson (Conservative, Centre-right): May I commend the Government for taking the toughest action on rogue landlords in a generation in the Housing and Planning Bill? On the provision of private sector rented housing, will the Minister give me an undertaking that he will continue to work, on a cross-party basis if necessary, to develop residential estate investment trusts, on which there has been a commitment from both parties over the years, and work with the Treasury to bring forward proposals for private sector housing, particularly in areas with affordability issues?
Private Rented Sector — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a good point, and we are working right across government on the institutional investments. I can tell the House that the estates regeneration panel that the Prime Minister has set up will be meeting for the first time tomorrow and will be looking at all these issues in that context as well.
Private Rented Sector — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): It is clearly a matter for local authorities to use those powers to crack down on rogue landlords and to ensure that they are providing the right services. It is just a shame that the Opposition did not support those measures in the Housing and Planning Bill.
Private Rented Sector — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Matthew Robert Warman (Conservative, Centre-right): In my constituency, some of the worst landlords have been prosecuted by Boston Borough Council, and the Department for Communities and Local Government has recently awarded it a £74,000 grant to keep up that good work. Does the Minister agree that when councils are proactive, there are resources available for them to enable them to be more proactive?
Private Rented Sector — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is right. He has given us an example of a good council looking to do the right thing by its local residents by ensuring that they are well protected and well served, using the extra funding that we have put in. In addition, local authorities will be able to impose the new £30,000 civil fines when the Housing and Planning Bill gets Royal Assent, and it is a shame that the Opposition did not support that measure. It will mean that councils will be able to do more in this regard than ever before.
City Deals: Scotland — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Mixed Topics
James Wharton (Conservative, Centre-right): Agreeing a city deal, with £125 million added to the other money that is going in, which is wanted by local people and delivered in co-operation with local partners, should be welcomed. It will drive forward growth, and it is something that a number of other areas would be very keen to secure if they could do so.
City Deals: Scotland — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
James Wharton (Conservative, Centre-right): This question underlines the point I was making about how other areas would like city deals, too. We have to work together to deliver city deals and we have to ensure that they are properly thought through, but we will continue to have those discussions and continue to work together to deliver something that can make a real difference. I am sure the hon. Gentleman will continue to be a passionate advocate for it.
City Deals: Scotland — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
James Wharton (Conservative, Centre-right): As I said, those discussions are ongoing and we will see what conclusion they reach. What is welcome is the recognition across the House that city deals can make a real difference and the recognition in those communities and economies of the value they can bring and of the growth they can generate. We will continue in those discussions. I hope we will reach a conclusion that will be welcomed by hon. Members from across the House, but I am confident that the city deals, as a whole, are making a real difference and will continue to do so.
Brownfield Sites — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): We are committed to fulfilling our manifesto commitment of supporting development on brownfield land. To that end, we are creating a £2 billion long-term housing development fund to unlock housing on brownfield land, and we are determined to make sure that we get 90% of that land with planning permissions by 2020.
Brownfield Sites — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Wendy Morton (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful to the Minister for that answer. In my constituency, we place great importance on the amenity that the green belt provides to our communities. What support is his Department providing to metropolitan boroughs to unlock brownfield sites for modern commercial as well as housing development, in order to afford further protection to the encompassing green belt?
Brownfield Sites — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is right to say that we want to make sure we are protecting the green belt, and the national planning policy framework does just that. This £2 billion fund will make that brownfield land more attractive, as will planning permission in principle, once the Housing and Planning Bill goes through. This is about making sure we do everything we can to get those brownfield land areas developed for the benefit of our local communities.
Brownfield Sites — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Pauline Elizabeth Latham (Conservative, Centre-right): Celanese is a very large brownfield site in Spondon in my constituency that is not included in Derby City Council’s core strategy, because it says that it will not be ready for development until at least 2028. The company on the site, however, says it will be ready by 2018. Does the Minister agree that local authorities should be doing more to utilise these sites through the funding that the Government have announced is available and increasing their efforts to make things ready for development?
Brownfield Sites — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Mixed Topics
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend, who is working passionately for her local community to make sure that brownfield land is appropriately and properly used, will appreciate that I cannot comment on the particular local plan that is at examination stage. It is true to say, however, that a local authority should be working with its local community to make sure that appropriate brownfield land, with a good understanding of its availability, is brought forward at the earliest opportunity and can take advantage of this new £2 billion fund as well.
Brownfield Sites — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Andrew George Stephenson (Conservative, Centre-right): Pendle has 46 hectares of brownfield land, 40 hectares of which is assessed as suitable for housing, yet just days ago Labour and Lib Dem councillors voted through an application to build 500 homes on a greenfield site in Barrowford in my constituency. I am a strong supporter of localism, but how can the Government make councils such as Pendle Borough Council step up to the challenge of brownfield development, rather than just taking the easy option and building on our green fields?
Brownfield Sites — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend highlights a good case. I know that, with his support, the previous Conservative-led Administration in Pendle was passionate about delivering on brownfield land. We want to see 90% of that land given planning permission. The best route is for the local community to take note of what the authority does and to let it know exactly what it thinks at the ballot box next time round.
Brownfield Sites — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): Yes, the hon. Gentleman outlines a good example of where everybody could work together in the best interests of the community and to see more housing built, and I am happy to organise that meeting. I will make sure I have that conversation with him and the local authority.
Brownfield Sites — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): As the hon. Lady will appreciate, it is absolutely right that local communities can make local decisions about what is right for them and that her local authority can look at its local housing need and make a decision about what is right for it, as it is looking to do in York.
Brownfield Sites — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): Through the national planning policy framework and the guidance that has come out since, we have actually strengthened green-belt protection. With the new planning permission in principle, the new requirement for a brownfield register and the £2 billion fund, we are going further than any Government before in making sure that brownfield sites are developed first.
Brownfield Sites — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Stephen William Hammond (Conservative, Centre-right): Will the Minister agree that the plan of my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith) to drive the London Land Commission to force local authorities to bring forward unused land will secure the homes that Londoners need and protect the environment and give London the quality of environment it deserves?
Brownfield Sites — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend outlines the sensible and productive approach that has been outlined by my hon. Friend the Member for Richmond Park (Zac Goldsmith), who I hope will be the next Mayor of London, to make sure we deliver more housing for London. As the joint chair of the London Land Commission, I look forward to working with him.
Brownfield Sites — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman’s council is represented on that authority, so I would hope it has a voice. I am also co-chairing the Manchester Land Commission, and I will certainly raise that point with the Labour interim panel chair and Mayor.
Neighbourhood Plans — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): Our £22 million support programme for neighbourhood planning for 2015-18 provides neighbourhood planning groups with online resources, an advice service, grants and technical support in priority areas. Furthermore, the Housing and Planning Bill will speed up and simplify the neighbourhood planning process.
Neighbourhood Plans — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Miriam Jane Alice Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank the Minister for his important answer. Having failed to deliver the first time, the Liberal Democrat-led Eastleigh borough council is now consulting on its new and somewhat controversial draft local plan document. Does the Minister agree that the best possible solution for my constituents is to have a suitable and properly supported local plan, and to back parishes such Botley on their community created neighbourhood plans, as there is currently none going to referendum in Eastleigh?
Neighbourhood Plans — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a very good point, and I am pleased to reassure her constituents that if they go forward with a neighbourhood plan, it will have weight in planning law, and if the local authority is failing to do its duty by its local residents in the community then the neighbourhood plan is the best way to proceed.
Neighbourhood Plans — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): As I outlined in my initial answer, we not only have online resources and advice services, but give grants of up to £8,000, with a further £6,000 in particularly difficult areas. Workshops are also going out around the country, and the National Association of Local Councils is talking through its parish council network about how the system works. I gently say to the hon. Lady that every single neighbourhood plan that has gone to referendum has passed with a huge majority.
Neighbourhood Plans — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Philip Thomas Hollobone (Conservative, Centre-right): Might it not be a good idea to highlight an exemplar neighbourhood plan in each shire area, which could be specifically rolled out across that county, to encourage more parish councils in particular to get involved?
Neighbourhood Plans — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Other
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): As is often the case, my hon. Friend raises a very good idea, and I will take it forward. I will be talking to the group that is going out and doing this kind of work and sharing best practice around the country. It is a good idea for local authorities to look at what others have done locally, and we will certainly do our best to take up his idea and to promote it further.
Syrian Refugee Resettlement — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Immigration
Richard Harrington (Conservative, Centre-right): Resettlement costs for year one are funded by the Department for International Development through the official development assistance budget. At the spending review, we announced a further £129 million towards local authority costs in years two to five. This amount was calculated after consulting the Local Government Association and local authorities with experience in this field on the likely costs that they would incur in being part of our Syrian refugee resettlement programme.
Syrian Refugee Resettlement — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Immigration
Karen Lumley (Conservative, Centre-right): I am working hard with my council leader, Bill Hartnett, to provide refuge for two Syrian families in Redditch. Does my hon. Friend agree with me that that is the right thing to do, and will he reassure local people that it will not be paid for by local council tax, as there is some concern in my town about that?
Syrian Refugee Resettlement — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Immigration
Richard Harrington (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend and the leader of Redditch Borough Council for the part they have played in the joint bid with Worcestershire County Council. As they are aware, we work closely with local authorities to ensure that capacity is identified as suitable for that area, and I again confirm to my hon. Friend that the funding available through the spending review will go a long way towards funding the resettlement of Syrian refugees.
Syrian Refugee Resettlement — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Immigration
Richard Harrington (Conservative, Centre-right): Mr Speaker, excuse me, but to be complimented by the Chairman of the Select Committee on Home Affairs puts one off one’s stride at the Dispatch Box. I remind the right hon. Member for Leicester East (Keith Vaz) that the refugee scheme for which I am responsible very much requires the good nature of local authorities. That, together with the asylum programme, is important to us, and I am pleased to say that the demand for places from refugees equals the supply.
Council Tax — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): The average council tax has long been higher in rural areas than in urban areas. In response to the consultation on the local government financial settlement, several councils and hon. Members have pointed out the extra costs of providing services in rural areas—something that I am determined to address.
Council Tax — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Andrew James Bridgen (Conservative, Centre-right): Figures from the rural fair share campaign show that those who live in urban areas receive 45% more funding than their rural counterparts, while at the same time those rural residents pay on average £81 more in council tax. Does my right hon. Friend agree that my constituents have every right to feel aggrieved about that inequality? What steps will the Government take to address that issue
Council Tax — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Geoffrey Robert Clifton-Brown (Conservative, Centre-right): Can my right hon. Friend say whether the gap between urban and rural authorities is widening? If it is widening in favour of urban authorities, will not the council tax payers in rural authorities, who are going to see their council tax rise considerably over the next three years, have to conclude that they are subsidising higher-spending urban authorities?
Council Tax — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Mixed Topics
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I have written no such letter. I remind the hon. Gentleman that council tax doubled under the previous Government. On all the forecasts that we have made, it will be lower in real terms than it was at the beginning of the last Parliament.
Support for High Streets — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): We are committed to ensuring that high streets remain at the heart of their community. We have introduced a £1.4 billion package of support, which includes business rate relief, help for small business, measures to tackle over-zealous parking enforcement, and practical changes to simplify the planning system.
Support for High Streets — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): We are committed to supporting high streets. High street vacancy rates are at their lowest since 2010. Investment in high street property is up by 30%, and where areas are doing the right things, they are seeing people return to their high street. That was seen through the Great British High Street competition. There are a number of winners from Yorkshire, and I am sure that people in Dewsbury will be able to take tips from around Yorkshire so that they can improve their high street.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): Since the beginning of January, the Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill has been enacted and given Royal Assent, the Housing and Planning Bill has passed its Third Reading, the voluntary housing association right to buy has been launched in five areas, and direct commissioning of housing has been launched I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the life and work of Mrs Hazel Pearson OBE, who died on Friday at the age of 92, having retired as a Middlesbrough councillor only last year at the age of 91. She was a formidable leader of Conservatives in Middlesbrough, achieved much for her town and was greatly respected by all parties and by her community over 47 years of service. She represented everything that was best in public service.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2016-02-08
Topic: Housing
Questions: In my city of Plymouth, local campaigns seem to regularly mislead my constituents on the spare room subsidy, something that many people see as a fair way of bringing about parity between the social and private rental sectors. I commend the Government, therefore, for making funds available for specific cases where the spare room subsidy is not appropriate. However, will the Minister confirm that Plymouth City Council has chosen to return that discretionary housing payment to central Government every year, so no one should be struggling as a result of this policy?
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): I find it interesting that the right hon. Gentleman raises this question, bearing in mind the fact that, as a Minister, he said he thought a fall in home ownership was not a bad thing. I disagree with him on that, as I do on other things. I think home ownership is something people aspire to, and we should support it. I am proud that the number of first-time buyers has doubled since 2010. Our work through the Housing and Planning Bill will take that further, and we must go further to support those aspirations.