Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Brandon Lewis and Pamela Nash

Monday 3rd June 2013 Commons Chamber

[Pamela Nash (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab)]

3. What assessment he has made of the average change in income of working families as a result of changes to council tax benefit.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Brandon Lewis)]

The impact assessment for the Government’s policy framework for localising council tax support is available on the Department’s website, but it is very important to note that the design of local schemes, and the assessment of their impact, is the responsibility of the local authorities.

[Pamela Nash]

The changes to council tax benefit and the subsequent cuts have come in at the same time as the freezing of child benefit and working tax credit, the linking of benefits to CPI rather than RPI and, of course, the introduction of the bedroom tax. How can the Government justify this multiple attack on low-income working families on the same day as bringing in a tax cut for millionaires?

[Brandon Lewis]

Unfortunately, we have to bear in mind the background to this, with spending on council tax benefit doubling under Labour and currently costing taxpayers £4 billion a year—around £180 per household. Welfare reform is vital to tackle the deficit left by the last Labour Government. Under the last Administration, more was being spent on this than on defence, education and health combined. That simply has to stop. The reforms we have put in place to localise council tax support give local authorities the power and the incentive to deliver local growth and get people back into work.

Communities and Local Government

Debate between Brandon Lewis and Pamela Nash

Tuesday 21st May 2013 Ministerial Corrections

[Pamela Nash]

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which private finance initiative projects under his Department have been refinanced in each year since May 2010; what the value is of each such project; what the refinancing gain has been in each such case; and how much of any such gain the relevant Government body received through a (a) lump sum and (b) reduction in the unitary charge.

[Official Report, 13 May 2013, Vol. 563, c. 55W.]

Letter of correction from Brandon Lewis:

An error has been identified in the written answer given to the hon. Member for Airdrie and Shotts (Pamela Nash) on 13 May 2013.

The full answer given was as follows:

[Brandon Lewis]

The following DCLG sponsored private finance initiative projects are reported by their authorities to have been refinanced since May 2010: Derby Housing Non-Housing Revenue Account; Bolton Community Learning Resource Centre; Tyne and Wear Fire Headquarters and Community Fire Stations; and Newham Canning Town Housing Revenue Account. Details of their capital values are held on HM Treasury's current private finance initiative projects list:

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/pfi_current_projects_list_march_2012.xls

The Department does not carry information relating to the refinancing of the projects managed by local authorities. This is because there is no obligation for local authorities to inform Departments in the event of a refinancing.

The correct answer should have been: