Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Angela Rayner and Peter Bedford

Wednesday 23rd October 2024 Commons Chamber

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

I absolutely agree with my hon. Friend, and I pay tribute to those who work with children with special educational needs and disabilities. I myself have my amazing son, who does tremendously well given the challenges he has faced in life. I know from personal experience that the system is just not working for children and families. Future funding decisions will need to be taken as part of the upcoming spending review, but we will work with the sector to deliver our shared mission and restore parents’ trust.

[Mr Peter Bedford (Mid Leicestershire) (Con)]

Q3. Just three months into this Labour Government, we have seen brutal cuts to support for pensioners and the taxing of education, and just this week we have seen £5 billion of additional pressure put on British businesses. Why do this Government have such a problem with aspiration?

[The Deputy Prime Minister]

The hon. Member might not have been in this place—I welcome him to his place now—in the last Parliament, but it was his Government who left the £22 billion black hole, his Government who left us with the biggest housing crisis, his Government who crashed the economy and his Government who saw inflation go to 11%, where pensioners were worse off than they are now.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Angela Rayner and Peter Bedford

Monday 2nd September 2024 Commons Chamber

[Angela Rayner]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question. It was great to visit Blackpool during the general election campaign, and I visited Blackpool on many occasions during my childhood as well. My Department is working in partnership with Blackpool to unlock significant investment. I have seen that more needs to be done to unleash Blackpool’s great potential, and I will work with my hon. Friend on the ongoing regeneration of Blackpool to deliver better-quality housing and a stronger local economy. And you never know, we might visit the nightlife as well.

[Mr Peter Bedford (Mid Leicestershire) (Con)]

Will the Secretary of State join me in calling on Labour-controlled Leicester city council to review its proposals in its own local plan to site 400 houses, seven Traveller pitches and a waste-processing centre on the edge of Glenfield village in my constituency, which are causing considerable concern to my residents?