Oral Answers to Questions Debate
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Al Pinkerton
Main Page: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)Department Debates - View all Al Pinkerton's debates with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Oral Answers to Questions
Al Pinkerton Excerpts(1 day, 10 hours ago)
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Alison McGovern
Birmingham city council has strengthened its financial position, and its balanced budget proposal for ’26-27 is a significant milestone. That has been made possible by the Government’s funding reforms, which increase Birmingham’s core spending power by 45% from ’24-25 to ’28-29, because we recognise that councils should be funded in line with poverty and deprivation.
Dr Al Pinkerton (Surrey Heath) (LD)
The Minister has talked about the protections afforded by local plans, but in areas such as Surrey Heath and Guildford, which have experienced a near-doubling of housing targets, those protections have been stripped away according to the tilted balance approach. What protections will the Minister put in place as at least a temporary measure to protect our communities from speculative development?
Matthew Pennycook
Local plans that are up to date provide protection from speculative development. Local authorities have to ensure that they are meeting housing delivery targets; that is an essential part of the system. Again, I will happily respond if the hon. Gentleman writes to me with further detail.