Point of Order
Debate between Caroline Flint and Lindsay Hoyle
Caroline Flint (Don Valley) (Lab)
On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. Yesterday, in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Ynys Môn (Albert Owen), the Energy Secretary said:
“Let me give the hon. Gentleman one exact policy, for which Labour never legislated: the warm home discount”.—[Official Report, 16 May 2012; Vol. 545, c. 561.]
He repeated the same point earlier this morning in Energy and Climate Change questions. The truth is that it was the Energy Act 2010, which was passed by the last Labour Government, that enabled the warm home discount scheme to be set up. Will you advise me on how the House can get such matters corrected on the record, to ensure that nobody is left ignorant of the true state of affairs?
Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)
I can say that that is not a point of order for the Chair, but the right hon. Lady has corrected the record in the statement that she has just made.
Amendment of the Law
Debate between Caroline Flint and Lindsay Hoyle(13 years, 8 months ago)
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Chris Bryant
I am particularly glad that my right hon. Friend has reminded that lot over there on the Tory Benches that they fully supported Labour’s spending plans up until the end of 2008 and promised to spend the additional benefits of growth on the economy, which they never seem to remember. That lot on the Liberal Democrat Benches, when they were sitting over here on the Opposition Benches, urged even greater levels of spending, so we are not going to take any hypocrisy from them.
In addition, will my right hon. Friend remind that lot over there of one further piece of history? In 1924, George Lansbury—
Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)
Order. You have to be much shorter, Mr Bryant.
Caroline Flint
If my hon. Friend was going to point out that when we go into recession we have to ensure that we do not go into a depression, that is exactly what the Labour Government did. Things may look rosy from the leather seats of the Secretary of State’s new Government Jag, but for ordinary people, the Government’s plans are hurting but they are not working.
Points of Order
Debate between Caroline Flint and Lindsay Hoyle
Caroline Flint (Don Valley) (Lab)
On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. The Minister for Housing and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), has been out and about in the TV and radio studios describing the biggest change to social housing for a generation, and one of those reforms could mean that people who get a pay rise could be evicted from their social homes. On the “Today” programme he said:
“I don’t want to overstep the mark and announce something to you which is actually properly being announced to Parliament later”.
A consultation document has been published, and the period of time in question is only eight weeks, not 12. We are told that this consultation will inform the localism Bill which we have heard on the grapevine will be published this week. This is not the right way to treat the House. Mr Deputy Speaker, will you ask the Housing Minister to come here and apologise and to allow us to question those proposals?
Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)
First, may I thank the right hon. Lady for giving me notice of her point of order? As the House knows, Mr Speaker attaches great importance to key policy announcements being made to the House before they are given to the media. There has been a written ministerial statement today, and the Department for Communities and Local Government will be answering questions on Thursday. This seems to be a classic example that should be drawn to the attention of the Procedure Committee as part of its inquiry into ministerial statements.
Points of Order
Debate between Caroline Flint and Lindsay Hoyle
Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)
I thank the hon. Member for withdrawing his comments. He has corrected the record.
Caroline Flint (Don Valley) (Lab)
On a point of order, Mr Deputy Speaker. I welcome the apology from the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, the hon. Member for Hazel Grove (Andrew Stunell), but will you seek an apology from the Minister for Housing and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps)? In Communities and Local Government questions last week, the right hon. Gentleman said that between 1997 and 2010 there was a net gain of 14,000 new affordable homes. Figures published by the Department for Communities and Local Government this morning show that, actually, the Labour Government built more than 500,000 new homes during that time. In 2009-10, 56,000 new homes were built in the teeth of the recession. He should come to the House and apologise.
Mr Deputy Speaker
The right hon. Lady has put her view on the record. A mechanism exists for corrections, and these can be made. Ministers are responsible for the content of their statements and answers.
Police Grant Report
Debate between Caroline Flint and Lindsay Hoyle(14 years, 4 months ago)
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Caroline Flint
I direct the hon. Gentleman to the £2.6 million of cuts that his area is going to face. There are choices to be made. We said that we would cut the deficit by half over four years, but your Government are suggesting that we go faster and harder, posing the risk of going back into recession, putting more people out of work and affecting employment in both the public and private sectors. We will watch very carefully to see whether the outcomes that you have chosen to pursue are really in the best interests of the country.
Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)
Order. The right hon. Lady is a very experienced Member, who should not use “you”. I am sure that she did not mean it.
Caroline Flint
I apologise, Mr Deputy Speaker. The hon. Gentleman will have to look at the outcomes of the decisions that his Government have made over the course of the last few weeks.
There is concern across the country about the announcement of cuts in police funding. I have listened to some of the comments made by Government Members. The hon. Member for Devizes (Claire Perry) has left the Chamber. I believe that she asked why we were spending money on police buildings. One reason why we did that over the past 13 years is that some of the buildings were not fit for purpose. If we are to modernise our police force and have civilian staff carrying out jobs such as following up on crime reports by using the best technology we need buildings that are fit for purpose. It is about investing in a police force for the 21st century.
We should also look at the partnerships created over the past 13 years. It should be recognised that the police cannot do the job of ensuring the safety of our communities, neighbourhoods and streets on their own. They have to work with others in local government, and I worry about how the cuts in the police grant will affect partnerships that have been nurtured with local authorities and community organisations. As those partners will be affected by cuts as well, the pot that is available to them, enabling them to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour in a flexible, dynamic, innovative way, will be further diminished by the lack of flexibility that is being imposed on police forces and local authorities throughout the country.
My constituents will be keen to know how the £3 million cut in funds for South Yorkshire police will affect them, particularly given the Government’s refusal to provide the guarantee to protect overall police numbers which we included in our manifesto.
Caroline Flint
I agree with some of the points that the hon. Gentleman is making—illiteracy among prisoners is a big problem—but what I do not understand, and what I ask him to clarify, given that we have tried everything else with many of these burglars, is why they cannot learn to read and write during six months in prison.
Mr Deputy Speaker
May I just remind the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr Jackson) that we are dealing with the police grant? We have strayed into discussing prisons, and although I know there is a connection, we are stretching it.
Caroline Flint
On a point of order, Mr. Deputy Speaker. There is plenty of time, and as the hon. Gentleman has accused me of suggesting a policy that I did not suggest, I should have the right to intervene.
Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)
That is not a point of order. The debate can continue until 3.47 pm, but it is up to the Minister to decide whether to accept an intervention.
