argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Fire and Rescue Services — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Public Lands
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the effect of changes to the level of funding for fire and rescue services on the effectiveness of those services.
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): Fire authorities have continued to provide an excellent service while making sensible savings. The number of incidents is 42% lower than 10 years ago, while the number of fire deaths and injuries is at an all-time low.
Fire and Rescue Services — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Public Lands
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the effect of changes to the level of funding for fire and rescue services on the effectiveness of those services.
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I take this opportunity to pay tribute to the magnificent work of firefighters, who, with the other emergency services, council staff, engineers, the armed forces, and indeed the whole community, have worked tirelessly to protect and help people during the flooding in the north of England Over the past five years, fire authorities have had spending reductions of less than local authorities. I have given the hon. Gentleman figures showing how well they have performed and managed those cuts, and the National Audit Office has said that the picture is one of financial health. In Cleveland, for example, the fire authority’s spending power is £48 per head of the population, compared to the national average of £37. So that is reflected in the formula.
Fire and Rescue Services — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: What recent assessment he has made of the effect of changes to the level of funding for fire and rescue services on the effectiveness of those services.
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I would draw the hon. Lady’s attention to the National Audit Office report, which was published quite recently. It says that the picture to date is one of financial health and that "fire authorities have not changed emergency response standards as a result of budget cuts" The evidence is that all but one stand-alone fire authority increased its reserves by 67% in real terms from 2010 to 2015. That tells me that the fire services are coping well with the reductions they have been invited to make.
Affordable Housing — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): I think the hon. Lady is referring to the maximum price for a starter home. If she looks, she will see that the average paid by first-time buyers is dramatically lower, which, along with the 20% discount we are introducing for starter homes linked to Help to Buy, makes buying a home affordable again for more people.
Affordable Housing — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Robin Caspar Walker (Conservative, Centre-right): In Worcester, according to city council figures, 260 new affordable homes were delivered in the last financial year, a record for any year since 1997. That record was delivered by a Conservative administration the year after a Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition delivered just 76 new affordable homes. Please can the Minister advise us how he will support well led councils such as Worcester to keep delivering more affordable homes?
Affordable Housing — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend gives a good example of a good, well run local authority delivering housing for its constituents. We are determined to stand by those authorities and work with them. That is why I am delighted that the Chancellor committed a further £8 billion in the spending review to deliver 400,000 affordable homes across the country.
Affordable Housing — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): I am glad that the hon. Gentleman is now joining our call to build more homes that are affordable for people. Starts are up some 57% in his constituency since 2010, which is a good start, but we want to go even further. That is why we want to deliver more shared ownership, giving people a wider opportunity to get on the housing ladder, along with the 20% discount on starter homes through Help to Buy on just a 5% deposit.
Affordable Housing — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Michael Mark Prisk (Conservative, Centre-right): Some Opposition Members believe that homes can be made more affordable, particularly in London for example, by returning to the bad old days of rent controls. Will the Minister assure me and many other Members of the House that the Government have no intention of giving powers to any future Mayor to reintroduce rent controls in London?
Affordable Housing — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): As my hon. Friend will know, we are very keen to see more and more localism and devolution of power, but I am happy to tell him that this Government will not allow us to fall into the trap that Labour often encourages people to fall into. The reality is that rent controls simply drive supply down and end up increasing rents, so we are very much against them and they will not be allowed under this Government.
Affordable Housing — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): I am somewhat surprised that the right hon. Gentleman should ask a question of that type, bearing in mind that he was the Minister who oversaw the lowest level of housing starts in this country since the 1920s. What the Chancellor has now done has meant that this Government are overseeing the biggest building programme in about 30 years.
Affordable Housing — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): I am afraid that the right hon. Gentleman and I have a big disagreement on this. He seems to want to stop property owners having the right to deal with their property in the way that any other property owner would, but we want to support people who aspire to own their own home. That is why we want to keep building more homes generally and keep building more homes for people at that discount rate for first-time buyers. We are proud that under the Conservative-led coalition during the last Parliament, we oversaw an increase in affordable homes—unlike the loss of 420,000 that we saw under 13 years of Labour.
Home Ownership: Government Support — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): The autumn statement confirmed £8 billion for over 400,000 affordable homes, including 135,000 new shared ownership homes and £2.3 billion towards delivering 200,000 starter homes. Our Help to Buy ISA scheme, launched on 1 December, means that we have a Help to Buy equity loan scheme as well, which is being extended through to 2020-21. That means that just a 40% equity is being provided by the Government for people in London, and that will be launched in 2016.
Home Ownership: Government Support — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Mary Josephine Robinson (Conservative, Centre-right): I was very pleased recently to attend the opening of Prospect House in Cheadle Hulme—a brand new development of 11 apartments available for shared ownership, and I welcome further measures introduced by the Government to expand this scheme. What steps is the Minister taking to encourage local authorities to build more shared ownership housing and ensure that these developments utilise brownfield sites?
Home Ownership: Government Support — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): I am happy to respond. We will relax or remove local authority restrictions to shared ownership to make it easier for people to find the right home for their families. Brownfield land has an important role in meeting housing need, and we are committed to ensuring that 90% of suitable brownfield sites have planning permission for housing by 2020.
Social Housing — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): Since 2010, we have delivered 270,000 affordable homes, including nearly 200,000 homes for rent. The majority of rented homes, delivered through the affordable homes programme, are for affordable rent, delivering more homes for every pound of Government investment. The spending review committed some £1.7 billion to deliver 100,000 affordable rented homes.
Social Housing — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): Actually, there was a 70% increase in social housing waiting lists under the last Labour Administration, and thanks to the flexibilities we have created, it has fallen. We also saw more social council housing built in the last Parliament than in the entire 13 years of Labour Government before that, and there is still over £2 billion of headroom in the housing revenue account for local authorities to go further and build more. I encourage them to do so.
Social Housing — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): As I said a few moments ago, in the last five years of Conservative government more council homes were built than in the entire 13 years of Labour government, during which the number of affordable homes dropped by 420,000. There is still more than £2 billion of borrowing headroom enabling local authorities to build more. We have made it clear that we will help all those who aspire to own their own homes by extending the right to buy and delivering starter homes throughout the country.
Autumn Statement: Devolved Services — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Questions: What assessment he has made of the effect of policies in the spending review and autumn statement 2015 on his Department's expenditure on policies and services which in Scotland are devolved to the Scottish Government.
James Wharton (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Gentleman is right to draw attention to the policy intention to replace homes on a basis of at least one for one, which is greatly welcomed by Conservative Members. As I have said, the spending review will have a Barnett consequentials impact on the Scottish Government’s capital budget, amounting to £1.9 billion, which is in addition to the borrowing powers they already have. That will enable them to deliver on what they want to do for Scotland—just as we want to deliver on our objectives and manifesto priorities in England and Wales.
Flooding — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Laurence Anthony Robertson (Conservative, Centre-right): In my experience, the Environment Agency often does not object to a planning application even when the area on which building is proposed floods, and especially when other areas could be caused to flood by the development in question. Will the Secretary of State look into the agency’s policies and practice in this regard?
Flooding — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Public Lands
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I will certainly do that. I recognise my hon. Friend’s constituency experience, and, indeed, his expertise as vice-chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on flood prevention. However, the national planning policy framework states that any new application in an area of flooding risk "must demonstrate that the development will be safe for its lifetime…without increasing flood risk elsewhere, and, where possible, will reduce flood risk overall." That test must be passed for the development to be permitted.
Flooding — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Other
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I am grateful for the opportunity that the hon. Gentleman offers me to pay tribute again to the fantastic work that is being done in the north of England, and which has, over the years, been done throughout the country at times when such emergencies occur. I will bear in mind what he has said, and it will be considered during our future discussions.
Flooding — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Public Lands
David Thomas Morris (Conservative, Centre-right): Loyn bridge, in Gressingham—which is in my constituency —has been partly washed away, and the roads on either side of it have caved in because of the flooding. Will my right hon. Friend assure me that everything will be done to ensure that the repairs are completed as quickly as possible, as the bridge is the main thoroughfare across the Lune valley?
Flooding — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Mixed Topics
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I will indeed. I note the leadership that my hon. Friend has shown in, and with, his community in responding to those conditions. We are determined to ensure that things are put right with the greatest dispatch, and we are working closely with the authorities throughout the area. The funds that have been made available so far will allow an assessment of what is required for restoration to be made, which will be followed by the repairs themselves.
Flooding — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): The negotiation with the insurance companies has been very clear: we want to make sure that everyone in the country can benefit from the insurance that gives them peace of mind when they buy a new property.
Planning Decisions — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): Over 1,700 communities are preparing neighbourhood plans to shape development in their area. These will form part of the development plan and be used to determine planning applications. The Housing and Planning Bill reforms will speed up and simplify the process and allow communities better to engage in local planning.
Planning Decisions — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Michelle Emma May Elizabeth Donelan (Conservative, Centre-right): The Minister will be aware that the planning inspector has deferred a decision on Chippenham’s housing development plan and has asked Wiltshire council to come back after a few queries. During this time, what measures could be put in place to ensure we do not have a free-for-all of aggressive planning applications against the best interests of the strategy of the town?
Planning Decisions — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): Having a five-year land supply in place puts local planning authorities in a strong position to resist unwanted development. Furthermore, national planning policy reiterates the importance of sustainable development, not development anywhere or at any cost, and I am sure my hon. Friend’s local authority is well aware of that when making decisions.
Planning Decisions — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): I cannot comment on an individual case without knowing all the facts, but I refer the hon. Gentleman to the measures in the Housing and Planning Bill, particularly those in relation to dealing with rogue landlords.
Planning Decisions — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Victoria Mary Boswell Prentis (Conservative, Centre-right): The interpretation of neighbourhood plans appears to be causing difficulties, in particular in the beautiful village of Hook Norton in my constituency. Will the Minister meet me to discuss how villagers can ensure the neighbourhood plan is adhered to?
Planning Decisions — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): And a great village Hook Norton is, and it is the home to a fantastic brewery. I hear what my hon. Friend says and I will certainly undertake to meet her, or I am sure my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning will.
Planning Decisions — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): This Government have demonstrated that we want local people to have a strong voice through neighbourhood planning. The issue the hon. Lady mentions is on the record, and her local planning authority should be listening to the concerns and comments of local residents.
Planning Decisions — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a good point. By 2017 we will make sure all areas have a local plan in place. The Housing and Planning Bill sets out in some detail how we are going to achieve that.
Local Government Funding Model — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): The hon. Lady should wait to see what the settlement has in store, but she should know from the past few years that Wirral’s spending power, at £2,240 per dwelling, is 7% above the national average. Her council has reserves of £80 million, a third higher than they were in 2010. It is important that she bears that in mind.
Local Government Funding Model — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Mixed Topics
Questions: People in rural areas such as my constituents pay an average of £80 more in council tax than those elsewhere, yet they receive about £130 less in central Government funding, which has an impact on local services. Does the Secretary of State agree that it is time to look for a fairer funding formula for all taxpayers?
Gregory David Clark (Conservative, Centre-right): I recognise that the cost of delivering services is higher in areas with a sparse population, for obvious reasons. The rural services delivery grant was introduced to reflect that extra cost, and it has since been increased. I will obviously have to bear that in mind when we assess what is needed in the financial settlement.
Syrian Refugees — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Immigration
Richard Harrington (Conservative, Centre-right): The number of local authorities that have resettled Syrian refugees changes frequently, as more Syrians arrive for resettlement in the UK. Although it is not practical to give a running commentary on the number of local authorities participating in the scheme, I can confirm that at the beginning of December about 50 local authorities had confirmed places before Christmas.
Syrian Refugees — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Immigration
Richard Harrington (Conservative, Centre-right): Of course I share the hon. Gentleman’s concern about Islamophobia. All I can say is that I have found nothing but a warm welcome from all parts of the UK for the refugees who have arrived in this country, and I am certain that will continue.
Syrian Refugees — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Immigration
Richard Harrington (Conservative, Centre-right): Our dealings with local authorities vary very much, depending on the particular cases. We do not have any power to insist that refugees go to certain places, but we are working with county councils, district councils and metropolitan borough areas. The system is therefore very flexible, and all I can say is that at the moment it has been working very well, because the number of places that have been offered is broadly equivalent to the number of refugees arriving.
Planning Developments: Neighbourhood Plans — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Christopher Heaton-Harris (Conservative, Centre-right): As the Minister will know, a few weeks ago the villagers of Earls Barton were trooping to the polls to vote on the referendum on their neighbourhood plan, at the very same time as the Secretary of State was allowing a housing planning appeal in their area. After all the work my constituents have put in, what assurance can the Minister give them that this work on neighbourhood plans will be worth while?
Planning Developments: Neighbourhood Plans — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
James Wharton (Conservative, Centre-right): I recognise my hon. Friend’s diligent commitment to representing the views of his constituents and taking an interest in local matters, including this one. He will appreciate that I cannot comment on individual planning cases, but neighbourhood plans are, where appropriate, given significant weight, and individual decision letters will set out why there is a difference and why a neighbourhood plan has been departed from. The Secretary of State will always give appropriate weight to neighbourhood plans, which are an important part of our planning process and of localism. We welcome them and we want to see more agreed.
Local Government Grant Formula — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Mixed Topics
Marcus Charles Jones (Conservative, Centre-right): In the provisional local government settlement that will come very shortly, we will announce changes to the local government finance system to rebalance support, including to those authorities with adult social care responsibilities, by taking into account the main resources available to councils, including council tax and business rates.
Rogue Landlords — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): The Housing and Planning Bill contains measures to tackle and go further with rogue landlords than anything we have had before. We want to rule out rogue landlords who rent out substandard accommodation and to do all we can to ensure that tenants have a good and safe environment. Our proposals include a database of rogue landlords and letting agents, banning orders for serious or repeat offenders, a tougher fit and proper person test, extending rent repayment orders and introducing civil penalties.
Rogue Landlords — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): If the hon. Lady looks at the private rented sector over the past five years, she will see that its increases are, on average, lower than the increases in the social housing sector, hence our reason for the changes in the Budget. We are going a lot further than ever before in cracking down on rogue landlords, whom everyone across the House would like to see put out of business.
Rogue Landlords — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Michael Jon Wood (Conservative, Centre-right): An important part of protecting tenants is ensuring that landlords understand their obligations and that tenants understand the remedies that are available. What action is the Department taking to ensure that tenants and landlords understand their rights and responsibilities?
Rogue Landlords — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend makes a good point. Apart from the extra measures that we are taking in the Housing and Planning Bill, in which we will do all that we can to publicise to tenants what they need to be aware of so that they know what to expect, we have also published a guide for tenants, so they can clearly understand their rights and what to expect from a good quality landlord. We should be clear that the majority of landlords offer an excellent service and that tenants are happy with them.
Topical Questions — House of Commons, 2015-12-14
Topic: Housing
Questions: Will the Secretary of State explain why the very same councils that have the highest numbers of vulnerable children are also those that have seen the highest budget cuts under his Government?; Will my right hon. Friend join me in welcoming plans submitted for the tearing down of the PowerGen building in Solihull—an eyesore that has blighted the lives of my constituents for a generation? It is being replaced by hundreds of new homes of many different types, including 260 badly needed assisted living apartments.
Brandon Kenneth Lewis (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend has given a really good example of a local authority making good use of brownfield land to provide the housing that its local community needs. I congratulate him on thinking properly and locally in that way.