Local Government Reorganisation

Debate between Angela Rayner and Richard Foord

Monday 7th September 2026 Commons Chamber

[Angela Rayner]

I agree with my hon. Friend. In our past lives, we worked in local government and on local government policy for some time. We have to take time to get this policy right, and he is right to make the distinction between local government reform and devolution, but the two can intertwine to help us on our way. This review does not impact on the timetable for devolution. Unitary local government can help with smoothing the functions of strategic authorities, but that is not a prerequisite.

[Richard Foord (Honiton and Sidmouth) (LD)]

Devon is one of 14 areas where local government reorganisation is being reviewed and paused, and I am grateful to the Secretary of State for having listened to Liberal Democrats in Devon and perhaps also to her legal advisers. When the rapid review takes place, will the Secretary of State please consider the greater costs associated with delivering in the countryside, such as rural Devon?

[Angela Rayner]

One of the challenges that rural areas face is transport. One of the reasons that the Prime Minister has been so eager to make sure that devolution happens is that those who are closest to what is going on in their local area know what challenges are being faced and how we can unlock some of the potential, and Devon can take the positives from that. We want to work with Devon to make sure that people in Devon get the right local devolution and local government reform for them. That is why I paused the decision.

Building Homes

Debate between Angela Rayner and Richard Foord

Tuesday 30th July 2024 Commons Chamber

[Angela Rayner]

I welcome my hon. Friend to her place. I have visited Milton Keynes a number of times, and it is a fantastic example of a Labour new town. She has been quick to get a meeting arranged with the Housing Minister, and I look forward to hearing more about how we can learn from Milton Keynes and have the next generation of new towns coming forward.

[Richard Foord (Honiton and Sidmouth) (LD)]

I welcome the consultation on the national planning policy framework. One of the documents that has been circulated to colleagues today is the NPPF with tracked changes. Buried on page 55 is a footnote that says the following sentence is proposed for deletion:

“The availability of agricultural land used for food production should be considered…when deciding what sites are most appropriate for development.”

That is in the existing NPPF, but the Government are proposing to take it out. The UK is only 60% self-sufficient in food—down from the mid-1980s, when we were 78% self-sufficient. Are the Government taking enough account of self-sufficiency in food?

[Angela Rayner]

Yes, and we believe that it is already considered in the NPPF. There is already guidance on agricultural land, particularly high-grade agricultural land, so we believe that the protections on food are already there.