Oral Answers to Questions

Brendan Clarke-Smith Excerpts

Wednesday 9th June 2021 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

What we are seeing across the country is people responding to massive investment— a £640 billion programme of investment in roads, in schools, in hospitals, in policing—that, bit by bit, is transforming people’s lives, hopes and opportunities. That is fundamentally the difference between the hon. Gentleman’s side of the argument and ours. We believe that there is talent, genius and flair around the whole country but opportunity is not evenly distributed. That is our ambition and that is what we are doing with our campaign for levelling up. If he is now saying, by the way, that he supports what we are doing on the tutoring revolution—because I know he is a great educational expert—then I am glad to hear it.

[Brendan Clarke-Smith (Bassetlaw) (Con)]

My constituents in Bassetlaw have been the victims of illegal encampments, most recently at Farr Park in Worksop, where local taxpayers have been left with a clean-up bill running into thousands of pounds, and residents have been left feeling powerless following a sustained period of antisocial behaviour in the locality. Could the Prime Minister tell us what steps we are now taking to ensure that we stop this happening in the future and allow residents and local authorities to take back control of trespassing?

[The Prime Minister]

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, my hon. Friend will be pleased to know, introduces a new criminal offence where a person who resides or intends to reside on land in a vehicle without permission and has caused or is likely to cause significant damage or distress can face new penalties. Guess who voted against that Bill on a three-line Whip? Does anybody know? It was the right hon. and learned Member for Holborn and St Pancras and his entire party.