Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Boris Johnson and Taiwo Owatemi

Wednesday 7th October 2020 Commons Chamber

[Taiwo Owatemi (Coventry North West) (Lab)]

Yesterday, the Prime Minister said that it would be easy to build new homes “without destroying” our green spaces. Many constituents in my part of Coventry are concerned that the Government are relying yet again on dodgy figures to trample on our green spaces and build unaffordable, low-quality homes in their place. As Coventry is running out of brownfield sites, precisely where does he expect those new homes to be built?

[The Prime Minister]

There is abundant brownfield space across the whole UK, and I speak as someone who used to be the planning authority for London, and I know whereof I speak. The opportunity is there. In many cases, the restrictions are caused by cumbersome planning procedures, but they are also caused by the inability of young people to get the mortgages that they want to buy the homes that they want. That is why we are bringing forward fixed-rate mortgages for 95% of the value of a property to help young people on to the property ladder. We are going to turn generation rent into generation buy.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Boris Johnson and Taiwo Owatemi

Wednesday 4th March 2020 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my right hon. Friend very much for raising what sounds like an appalling case, and I am sure the whole House will join me in expressing our deepest sympathies to Tom’s family and friends. To seek justice for Tom, I am very happy to ask the Foreign Office to begin talks first with my right hon. Friend and then with their Spanish counterparts.

[Taiwo Owatemi (Coventry North West) (Lab)]

Q12. Last month, a young man from my constituency was fatally stabbed, and just this weekend another young man was stabbed in Coventry. Violent crime in the city is rising, yet I only have 10 police officers in my constituency, some of whom I share with my Coventry colleagues. As the Prime Minister makes such a big deal about his 20,000 new police officers, can he tell my constituents whether we are going to get our fair share?

[The Prime Minister]

The hon. Lady is absolutely right to raise the issue of stabbings and violent crime, which I agree with her are too high and must come down. That is one of the reasons why we are increasing the number of police officers in this country, and, as she will have heard in the House just now, in the west midlands that number is going up by 366 immediately.