The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Nesil Caliskan)
I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for Poole (Neil Duncan-Jordan) for securing this important debate. I so appreciated the way that he spoke about the area he represents. His opening remarks made reference to the smell of the sea, which I know will be nostalgic for many. He also made an important point about hospitality and how important it is for the local economies of coastal communities.
Coastal communities are a vital part of our national identity, serving as a key reminder of our national pride and shared maritime history.
Ms Polly Billington (East Thanet) (Lab)
It is very important that coastal communities are recognised for our role in the overall identity of the country, but we are also a vital way of developing economic growth in this country. As co-chair of the all-party parliamentary group for coastal communities, what I am asking for, along with many Back-Bench colleagues who are present, is a coastal economic strategy that identifies the key industrial sectors that can help us to grow. It is not only about hospitality, although that is vital; it is also about ensuring that we have a year-round economy.
Nesil Caliskan
My hon. Friend makes a really important point. It is only my second week in this role, but I have already had passionate representations from my hon. Friend and other colleagues who represent coastal communities, and I will continue to engage with them to talk about the important points they have made in this Chamber and beyond.
The Government are committed to supporting coastal communities everywhere to fulfil their potential and thrive. Coastal communities are a key part of our ambition for the whole country. They play a vital role both for the areas themselves and for the whole economy. Protecting coastal communities, particularly from coastal erosion, is a priority for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and we will continue to do that.
My hon. Friend the Member for Poole made important points about the local communities and economy. I would like to take this opportunity to talk about MHCLG’s commitment to Pride in Place and a number of the other programmes that the Department is using to directly target a range of economic, social and health-related challenges felt by coastal communities. Our £5.8 billion Pride in Place programme will deliver up to £20 million of funding and support over the next decade to 284 communities across the UK, and at least 56 coastal communities across the UK are part of it. They will receive over £1 billion collectively through that programme.
A package of targeted investments will be delivered through each community developing a plan, in consultation with local people, that reflects local need and determines where that money is best spent. The programme will help communities to improve local infrastructure and play areas, important cultural venues, and health and wellbeing services, among many other things.
Perran Moon
Coastal communities, because of our geographical location, work very closely together, so within the Pride in Place definition of “community cohesion” we are marked down in our ability to access Pride in Place funding. Therefore, across six constituencies in Cornwall—even though Cornwall is one of the most deprived regions in northern Europe—we have had zero pounds from Pride in Place because of our community cohesion. Does the Minister agree that needs to be looked at?
Nesil Caliskan
I thank my hon. Friend for raising that important point. Community cohesion is an important aspect of how we allocate money through MHCLG, but I recognise that it is not the only important aspect. I am therefore happy to meet him and other Members of Parliament who want to talk about how we allocate money in a fair and transparent way.
Adam Jogee (Newcastle-under-Lyme) (Lab)
I am grateful to the Minister for issuing invitations to meet to colleagues. My constituency did not get Pride in Place funding, and I would be grateful if she could find some time to have a cup of tea with me so that I can make the case for it to her before too long.
Nesil Caliskan
I am always happy to have a cup of tea with colleagues, and especially my hon. Friend.
I will turn to the important points made about holiday lets, which particularly impact coastal communities. The Government have committed almost £40 billion to the social and affordable homes programme, which is important for the delivery of houses and affordable homes more generally.
Amanda Martin
Does my hon. Friend agree that, as well as housing, education is vital, and that is really missing in coastal communities, so our constituencies are often seen at the bottom of league tables?
Nesil Caliskan
That is a very important point. As my hon. Friend will know, education is a top priority for the Government, which is why we have seen record investment. I believe that coastal communities will benefit from that commitment.
Lee Pitcher (Doncaster East and the Isle of Axholme) (Lab)
Will the Minister give way?
Nesil Caliskan
I will make a little progress.
Although short-term holiday lets can be hugely beneficial to local economies, the Government appreciate that their excessive concentration in some areas of the country can impact on the availability and affordability of homes to buy and rent; hon. Members have highlighted some of the challenges. That is why the Government are making progressive changes to the tax system to protect our vital public services and to ensure that housing is primarily seen as a home rather than an investment. Those taxation changes will be important for coastal communities.
Alongside that, the Government have abolished the furnished holiday lets tax regime, meaning that landlords will no longer be incentivised via the tax system to make their properties available for short-term holiday lets. That is an issue that has long been raised by those who live in coastal communities.
On the important points that my hon. Friend the Member for Poole made on health, I recognise that some of the greatest health inequalities can be found in our coastal towns. I am therefore delighted that the Government have made it a core mission to strengthen joined-up approaches between health and social care services so that people experience health services locally in a more integrated way, with a person-centred approach. Coastal areas will really benefit from that joined-up thinking. A neighbourhood health service approach along with reforming the better care fund in line with the commitments set out in the 10-year NHS strategy are all things that will benefit our coastal communities, which are disproportionately impacted by health inequalities.
Lee Pitcher
We cannot talk about coastal communities and health without talking about safety, and particularly water safety. Over the past couple of weeks, when we have had hot weather, at least 17 people are known to have died by drowning, many of them children and young adults. Will the Minister talk to other relevant Ministers about holding a national campaign before the summer, when it gets hot once again and children are on school holidays, to ensure that we prevent unnecessary deaths on our waterways?
Nesil Caliskan
I thank my hon. Friend for raising an important point. Sadly, over the past decade or so children have become less likely to have swimming lessons, and the consequences have been catastrophic, particularly when we consider coastal communities. I know that my hon. Friend and other hon. Members have already made such representations, and I am happy to take the idea away and ask MHCLG to look further at it. We must also work across Government to ensure that we are doing everything we can to support children and adults to benefit from swimming classes, so that we can keep them safe, as well as communities more generally.
We also need cross-departmental and cross-Government work with the Environment Agency to ensure that water is clean, so that our coastal communities can be enjoyed not just by the people who live in them, but by those who visit them. Clean water is not just a “nice to have”; it is fundamental to the health and safety of everybody who visits coastal towns, and I will ensure through MHCLG that we have an adequate cross-departmental approach on that.
Finally, I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Poole for securing this debate. I know that he cares passionately about the issues he raised, which go beyond his coastal area and speak to many constituencies across the country. The identity of our coastal communities is intrinsic to the identity of our country, and each of our coastal communities has a particular identity that is important to the local area. Government investment to ensure that our coastal communities are properly looked after is not just about borders; it is about ensuring that we support people who live in those communities, reduce health inequalities, and ensure that everybody has the opportunity to thrive.
Question put and agreed to.