Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Richard Graham and Greg Clark

Tuesday 24th March 2015 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

The progress we have made in England has been significant. As the hon. Gentleman knows, we have also concluded a city deal with Glasgow. Some of the reflections I have heard from Scotland state that the Scottish Government have been a rather centralising Government and that they will look to the model of decentralisation that we have pursued in England to try to save them from that over-centralisation.

[Richard Graham (Gloucester) (Con)]

3. What steps he has taken to uphold the integrity of voting in introducing individual electoral registration.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Richard Graham and Greg Clark

Tuesday 6th January 2015 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

That is complete nonsense. The record of job creation over the course of this Parliament shows that the vast majority of jobs have been created outside London. One thing we negotiated was a city deal with the city of Glasgow that was well received in that great city.

[Richard Graham (Gloucester) (Con)]

5. What progress he has made on implementing local growth deals.

[The Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Greg Clark)]

Funding for the local growth deals begins in April this year, but strong progress is being made in implementing the deals even in advance of this. In Gloucestershire the growth hub, which gives advice and support to small businesses, opened at the university of Gloucestershire in October and is already being well used by local businesses.

[Richard Graham]

My right hon. Friend is absolutely right that the university of Gloucestershire’s growth hub in the city of Gloucester is making real progress already. May I invite my right hon. Friend to visit it and, while he is there, to take the opportunity to see our exciting plans for the regeneration of Blackfriars in the city centre, which are a key feature of our LEP’s next bid?

[Greg Clark]

My hon. Friend the Member for Pendle (Andrew Stephenson) was right to predict a spate of invitations. Of course I will come and visit the new growth hub in Gloucester in the company of my hon. Friend the Member for Gloucester (Richard Graham).

Local Growth Deals

Debate between Richard Graham and Greg Clark

Monday 7th July 2014 Commons Chamber

[Richard Graham (Gloucester) (Con)]

In what has become an intense competition to welcome the Minister’s announcement most warmly, may I make a bid on behalf of Gloucestershire—I think I am the only Member from the county here—to welcome the Gloucestershire growth deal, which includes a real opportunity to generate more Gloucesterpreneurs and some great participation in nuclear and green projects too? My right hon. Friend will know that I particularly welcome the commitment to finance the last remaining slug of the new bus station, which is the transport hub of the county, as it will make a huge difference. Does he agree that the autumn statement and the Budget provide opportunities for further bids for such projects as the Blackfriars regeneration?

[Greg Clark]

My hon. Friend is nothing if not tenacious. I enjoyed my visit to Gloucester with him a little while ago. There will be other opportunities, because negotiations will continue. I dare say that Gloucestershire will build on its success.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Richard Graham and Greg Clark

Tuesday 14th May 2013 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

I welcome the hon. Lady’s support for the economic review and its proposals. She will know that under the city deal that we negotiated with Newcastle, which is already being implemented, sites are being prepared for new businesses to move in, creating valuable jobs. I hope that she will maintain that support for the proposals as we implement them.

[Richard Graham (Gloucester) (Con)]

rose—

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Richard Graham and Greg Clark

Monday 30th April 2012 Commons Chamber

[Richard Graham (Gloucester) (Con)]

T9. My right hon. Friend the cities Minister, the Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark), will have noted, not least from the Centre for Cities annual report, that progress in Gloucester is encouraging on a number of fronts, including the regeneration of major sites and the expansion of our specialist training company to provide apprenticeships and skills for our thriving small and medium-sized enterprises engineering centre. Gloucester would be delighted if the Minister could visit the city to look more closely at some of our successes and our challenges.

[The Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Greg Clark)]

It would give me the greatest pleasure to visit Gloucester, especially in the company of my hon. Friend.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Richard Graham and Greg Clark

Thursday 21st October 2010 Commons Chamber

[Greg Clark]

May I welcome the hon. Lady to the Dispatch Box? She has long experience in local government, which I know takes these issues very seriously. One thing that councils and central Government have had the chance to do in the past is to hold on to power and to avoid bringing in the voluntary sector as of right. I think we need to change that. The hon. Lady will see that, in the localism Bill, we are going to entrench rights for community groups to take over some of the services of local authorities if they can demonstrate that they can have a more effective outcome. Rights, I think, rather than discretion, is the best source of guarantees for the sector.

[Richard Graham (Gloucester) (Con)]

11. What steps he has taken to reduce the burden of administration in the planning system.