Housing

Debate between Baroness Stowell of Beeston and Baroness Browning

Monday 31st March 2014 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Browning]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures they are taking to increase the supply of housing.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Baroness Stowell of Beeston) (Con)]

My Lords, this Government are getting Britain building again. Housing construction is at its highest level since 2008. Affordable homes will soon be delivered at the fastest rate for more than 20 years and our latest Budget measures, which include extending the Help to Buy equity loan scheme, supporting a garden city at Ebbsfleet and providing a £525 million fund to support SME builders to get going on smaller sites, will support more than 200,000 more new homes.

[Baroness Browning (Con)]

As well as Help to Buy, will my noble friend confirm that the Government will continue to promote the right to buy, which has been so successful in helping people in social housing to become homeowners? The shadow housing Minister, Jack Dromey, told last year’s Labour Party conference:

“I was one of those in the 1980s who led the charge against the right to buy. We were half way across the field of battle we looked over our shoulder and there was no”,

one,

“behind us—there were 1.5 million housing tenants who bought their homes”.

Does my noble friend agree with him?

[Baroness Stowell of Beeston]

I certainly welcome the conversion of the shadow housing Minister to supporting the right to buy. I wish only that he would speak to his Labour colleagues who are in government in Wales as they seem to be doing everything they can over in Wales to prevent people exercising their right to buy. The contrast here in England is stark. I can reassure my noble friend that it is very much an important part of our housing strategy. We have increased the discounts available to those who wish to exercise their right and our commitment to replace the additional homes sold under our reinvigorated scheme will mean that even more people will have the same opportunity in future.

Crime: Violence Against Women and Girls

Debate between Baroness Stowell of Beeston and Baroness Browning

Thursday 8th November 2012 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Stowell of Beeston]

Yes, my Lords. One of the advantages of the new regime of PCCs and devolving decisions on policing priorities in this way is that it will, I hope, lead to greater co-ordination between local agencies. Particularly with regard to children, it is worth reminding noble Lords that the noble Lord, Lord Laming, was successful in introducing an amendment to the Police Reform and Social Responsibility Bill to ensure that police and crime commissioners hold the chief constable to account for safeguarding children and the promotion of children’s welfare.

[Baroness Browning]

Notwithstanding the work of police and crime commissioners, will my noble friend confirm that the Government will centrally continue the valuable work they are doing to combat violence against women and girls?

[Baroness Stowell of Beeston]

Yes, I absolutely can confirm that. It is worth making clear that under this Government we have set aside £40 million of secure funding until 2015, and it is guaranteed funding that will continue. Within that £40 million, £10.5 million has been allocated to rape support centres located throughout the UK.

Extradition

Debate between Baroness Stowell of Beeston and Baroness Browning

Tuesday 16th October 2012 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Stowell of Beeston]

The only group we have not yet heard from is the Conservative group.

[Baroness Browning]

My Lords, I refer to my interests in autism listed in the Members’ register. I welcome this Statement today about Gary McKinnon, but will my noble friend agree that the Home Secretary had the advantage of seeing medical reports from psychiatrists who have a working knowledge of Asperger’s syndrome, which made an enormous difference to the decision that she has made today? Over the past few years, I have had the privilege of reading Gary McKinnon’s medical reports. On moving decision-making from the Home Secretary to the High Court, will my noble friend discuss with his colleagues in the Ministry of Justice the need also for courts to be much more particular about where they source and commission such medical reports? The difference between a generalist psychiatrist assessing Asperger’s syndrome and those who have a working knowledge of it is the difference between justice and injustice.

Police and Crime Commissioners

Debate between Baroness Stowell of Beeston and Baroness Browning

Thursday 22nd March 2012 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Stowell of Beeston]

No, I do not agree with the noble Lord’s proposition. The system of election is open. Some high-profile candidates have come forward, including at least one Member of your Lordships’ House. There are also independent candidates who are expressing an interest in putting themselves forward for this important role. It is encouraging how many people are embracing what will be a new and very radical way of increasing public accountability and encouraging a relationship between people and the police.

[Baroness Browning]

Does my noble friend take some encouragement from the fact that people from both Houses of Parliament have expressed an interest in standing and that several independent candidates are now emerging? That is to be welcomed. Does she see that as a vindication, because although there was a lot of opposition to police and crime commissioners when the Bill went through, a great many people, including in this House, now believe that it is a job worth doing?

[Baroness Stowell of Beeston]

I agree. Indeed, I am delighted that, after such fierce opposition to elected police and crime commissioners, senior Labour politicians are now embracing this opportunity to increase public accountability. I think that the noble Lord, Lord Prescott, put it as clearly as I can when he said in some of his recent media interviews:

“The public should have much more of a say in determining the force’s priorities and responsibilities”,

and,

“That’s never been done before. That’s quite a radical reform”.