Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Andrew Percy and Danny Alexander

Tuesday 9th December 2014 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

In case the hon. Gentleman does not remember, he was present in the last Parliament when his party was in government and caused the most severe economic crash that this country had experienced for very many decades. The housing market, of course, gets affected by the economic cycle, which is precisely why this Government have presided over the highest level of affordable house building in this country for 20 years. Under the hon. Gentleman’s party, the number of affordable houses in this country fell by 421,000; under this Government, it has risen by hundreds of thousands.

[Andrew Percy (Brigg and Goole) (Con)]

2. What steps the Government are taking to support economic growth in the Humber.

[The Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Danny Alexander)]

The Government have taken many steps to rebalance the economy and strengthen every part of the United Kingdom. In the case of the Humber, the growth deal was announced in July, building on the success of the city deal, which was announced in 2013. We have also just announced £80 million for flood defences for the Humber estuary. I am pleased to see that our investment in that part of the country is working. Employment in Yorkshire and the Humber is now at the highest level on record at 2.51 million.

[Andrew Percy]

Key to economic development in east Yorkshire and north Lincolnshire are, of course, our tidal flood defences, which are so important. Last week the Government announced that the Environment Agency would undertake a review of the package proposed by myself, other local MPs and local authorities. Will the Chief Secretary ensure that Treasury and, if possible, Cabinet officials will also be involved in that process? It needs to be Treasury-led, rather than EA-led, to give us the result we require.

[Danny Alexander]

My hon. Friend makes a good point. The proposal by the local enterprise partnership is incredibly important and it needs to be assessed in detail by experts at the EA. The National Audit Office recently commended the EA on the way in which it carries out such appraisals. None the less, given the significance of the issue and the fact that it was announced as part of the national infrastructure plan, I shall make sure that Treasury officials are also involved in the process.

Investing in Britain’s Future

Debate between Andrew Percy and Danny Alexander

Thursday 27th June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

As I said in my statement, and the hon. Gentleman should welcome this, we will through this announcement be building more homes on average every year than in any year but one under the previous Government. Frankly, he should be ashamed of the fact that the number of affordable homes in this country fell by 420,000 during his party’s time in office—a total disgrace.

[Andrew Percy (Brigg and Goole) (Con)]

The announcement about the A63 is good news for the sub-regional economy in Humber and for my constituents in Brigg and Goole, and comes on top of other investments which have already been delivered, such as the Humber bridge, the Get Moving Goole project and the A160. We are doing very well on roads, but can I ask the Chief Secretary to continue to listen to representations about the electrification of rail services on the north and south banks of the Humber?

[Danny Alexander]

There has been a strong cross-party campaign on the A63, and I am pleased to have been able to make the announcement today. We will certainly to listen to the hon. Gentleman’s representations on the other subjects he mentions.

Public Service Pensions

Debate between Andrew Percy and Danny Alexander

Wednesday 2nd November 2011 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

It is true that I gave the figure of 1% of the pay bill. That is an assumption that was audited by the Office for Budget Responsibility and published in the relevant fiscal forecast that it presented. It is precisely for the reason given by the hon. Lady that we have chosen to tier the pension contribution increases according to income, so that no one earning less than £15,000 a year will experience any contribution increase. Those earning between £15,000 and £21,000 a year will experience a much reduced increase, while the heaviest burden of increases will be borne by the highest earners. That is the right and proper way in which to ensure that there are no opt-outs.

[Andrew Percy (Brigg and Goole) (Con)]

While it is true that all taxpayers pay for the pensions that we are discussing, it is low-paid private sector workers working beyond retirement age—such as my dad—who are subsidising public sector pensions while receiving none of the benefits. I therefore welcome the proposed changes, and hope that my former colleagues in the teaching profession will accept them.

Firefighters’ pensions were mentioned earlier. Firefighters from my constituency whom I met yesterday were worried less about change than about whether they would be fit to do their job after the age of 55. Are the Government still prepared to discuss that issue with the union?

[Danny Alexander]

Yes, and John Hutton said in his report that he thought it appropriate to retain a lower retirement age for firefighters, the armed forces and the police. It is precisely because of the importance of such issues that the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Robert Neill)—who is leading the negotiations—is taking longer than expected to set the cost ceiling. That will enable us to ensure that the arrangements for firefighters are appropriate and will allow them to continue to receive a very decent pension in return for what is a very important contribution to our society.

Public Spending

Debate between Andrew Percy and Danny Alexander

Thursday 17th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

No, none of the decisions was motivated in the way that the hon. Lady suggests. I have received representations from Members from a number of political parties on this matter. The key issues are affordability and value for money, and that project does not meet those tests. However, we continue to be supportive of it and officials will continue to work with the company to help it to try to secure private investment, which we think is perfectly justifiable for that worthwhile project.

[Andrew Percy (Brigg and Goole) (Con)]

In the run-up to the general election, Labour Ministers trotted up the M1 to my constituency to make all sorts of promises on issues that they had done nothing about for 13 years. Does the Chief Secretary agree that, instead of coming here and feigning anger today, Labour Members should walk out of that door and go to constituencies such as mine to apologise for raising people’s hopes about projects that they never intended to fund?

[Danny Alexander]

The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. It is easy for people to write cheques when they know they are going to bounce. Labour raised hopes in communities that certain projects would go ahead, for which there simply is no money left. As the shadow Chief Secretary said, there is no money left, and that should have been the approach that guided those decisions, not the need of Members to save their own seats.