Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation

Debate between Chi Onwurah and Lord Pickles

Friday 20th March 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Pickles]

Absolutely. My hon. Friend was a distinguished Minister in my Department. Right from the very beginning, all this was envisaged under the Localism Act 2011. Rather than trying to move all local government at the same speed, we will of course devolve this power to those councils that are capable of managing larger budgets and delivering a deal. I envisage that within the next five years most local authorities will use such a system. For those that do not, the Prime Minister made it clear in a speech a couple of weeks ago that it will be our intention to get the retention up to 66%. I shall be disappointed if we cannot exceed that, but for most local authorities self-sufficiency and being able to raise their own finance locally and to spend Government money sensibly, and so on, is the future. I have great hopes for what is happening in Greater Manchester, and it shows that people of good will right across the political spectrum can work together.

[Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)]

Can the Secretary of State clarify whether all new business rates will be retained, or whether it will be all incremental business rates in addition to those currently predicted?

[Mr Pickles]

It is very straightforward; it is the same scheme that has existed since the retention scheme was introduced. It is the growth in the business rates. If a council goes out of its way to bring in new investment, it is only right that it should not be penalised for doing so, as it would have been under Labour. It should reap the benefits. I know that Opposition Members have difficulty with the idea that people should be rewarded for creating wealth and working for the common good, but that is how it is going to be. The Government are helping to expand local economies, and we also want to expand powers for local areas. As I have said, we have already devolved significant powers to the Greater Manchester combined authority.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chi Onwurah and Lord Pickles

Monday 2nd February 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Pickles]

Yes; the cost worked out at something like £140 million a year. It is not good enough to say, “Don’t translate”; we must make a real effort to ensure that people can speak English. That is why my Department has invested £6 million in six programmes to deliver courses for more than 24,000 adults with the lowest levels of English. Those people are the most isolated because they are unable to speak English. The courses have been targeted principally towards Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Somali women.

[Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)]

I recently met the profoundly deaf communities in my constituency through Deaflink, and they highlighted how isolated they felt because of the lack of British sign language translation services available when accessing services. What will the Secretary of State do to support them?

[Mr Pickles]

The hon. Lady makes a reasonable point: sign languages in English should be available. I shall look into the matter very carefully and, because she has made a reasonable point, respond to her.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Chi Onwurah and Lord Pickles

Monday 25th November 2013 Commons Chamber

[Chi Onwurah (Newcastle upon Tyne Central) (Lab)]

Earlier the Minister said that the bedroom tax was about aligning rules in the social and the private sector, and the Secretary of State indicated the same. Do they not understand that the demographics of the social and private sectors are very different, and that social housing houses some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, including the 400,000 disabled people affected by this? Does the Secretary of State not think the policy should be aligned with fairness by abolishing the tax?

[Mr Pickles]

The hon. Lady needs to look at the matter carefully. Exactly those kinds of people are housed in the private rented sector.