Oral Answers to Questions

Anthony Browne Excerpts
Monday 16th October 2023

(1 year, 2 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Rachel Maclean Portrait Rachel Maclean
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The hon. Lady asks whether we will match Labour’s ambition. I have news for her: from what I picked up from the Labour party conference, it announced the same targets that we are getting on with. I draw her attention to the fact that more than 860,000 households have been helped to purchase a home since spring 2010, through Government-backed schemes including Help to Buy, Right to Buy and First Homes.

Anthony Browne Portrait Anthony Browne (South Cambridgeshire) (Con)
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I welcome the new “young” Minister to his post. I want to attach myself to tributes to his predecessor, my hon. Friend the Member for Bishop Auckland (Dehenna Davison), who is sitting next to me.

Last week, a freedom of information request showed that the Lib Dem-Labour controlled Greater Cambridge Partnership, which handles city deal money in my constituency, spent £4.7 million developing plans for a congestion charge that was then dropped because it was opposed basically by everyone. It also spent £16.5 million on the Cambridge South East Transport bus route, also now dropped, and £18 million on new car parks, none of which are actually open. That is a total so far of £160 million on transport projects, and virtually none of them functioning. It is now asking the Government for £200 million more. It is no wonder that in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire, people think that the Greater Cambridge Partnership is unelected, unaccountable and a waste of public money. Does the Minister agree that we have to ensure public value for money? Will he meet me to talk about the details?

Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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Order. That question is too long, and I am not quite sure how it fits in with first-time buyers.

Anthony Browne Portrait Anthony Browne
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I will ask the Minister later.

Lindsay Hoyle Portrait Mr Speaker
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I don’t think you will.