Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park and Grant Shapps

Monday 30th January 2012 Commons Chamber

[Grant Shapps]

A whole range of protections is in place, including the fact that people can choose to bridge the gap themselves. If they cannot do that, a discretionary fund of £190 million is available. If that does not work, by definition a third of properties within the local housing area are available. There are just some decisions that cannot be delayed, and it must be right that people who are in receipt of different types of benefits, whether social housing or housing benefit, have to make the same decisions as people who rent or own privately.

[Zac Goldsmith (Richmond Park) (Con)]

Many of my constituents are wondering what the point is of local elections when so many decisions taken by the elected local authority, and supported by the majority of people, are simply overruled by remote authorities. Given that the referendum clause has been deleted from the Localism Bill, what hope can my constituents have that we will see a genuine shift in favour of local democracy?

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park and Grant Shapps

Monday 28th February 2011 Commons Chamber

[Zac Goldsmith]

I welcome the principle behind the new homes bonus, but if the level is set too high or if local authorities become too dependent on it, could it not become a perverse incentive for overdevelopment?

[The Minister for Housing and Local Government (Grant Shapps)]

My hon. Friend is pushing at an interesting point. It will be for democracy at a local level to decide what happens. His constituents can rely on him and their own wherewithal to decide to vote for the party that will provide the right level of housing rather than overdevelopment.