Local Government Finance

Antonia Bance Excerpts

Wednesday 17th December 2025 Commons Chamber

[Alison McGovern]

Members will be reassured to know that ample time is reserved in my diary to meet them in the new year, and I would love to meet my hon. Friend to discuss rurality and the other things he mentioned.

On new homes, we are making sure that councils get all the benefit for every new home they build. That is part of the settlement. We want to build 1.5 million new homes and we want councils to feel the benefit of that when they make the relevant decisions. I will happily talk my hon. Friend through the detail when we meet.

[Antonia Bance (Tipton and Wednesbury) (Lab)]

Black Country people are proud and resilient, but 50 years of deindustrialisation and 14 years of Tory austerity have left my borough of Sandwell the fifth most deprived in the country. Does the Minister agree with me that this Government can finally see deprived urban areas—post-industrial areas like mine—and is finally giving us back what we are due?

[Alison McGovern]

I very much agree. For those places that bore the costs of bad decisions many years ago and have never been able to get fully back on their feet, this is part of turning the corner. I look forward to working with my hon. Friend on that.