Oral Answers to Questions

Chris Kelly Excerpts

Thursday 10th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Grant Shapps]

That is a matter for the Treasury, but the hon. Gentleman will not have to wait long because the emergency Budget, which has been made necessary by the previous Government’s profligacy, will be on 22 June.

[Chris Kelly (Dudley South) (Con)]

4. What steps he plans to take to end regional spatial strategies.

[John Howell (Henley) (Con)]

10. What steps he plans to take to end regional spatial strategies.

[The Minister of State, Department for Communities and Local Government (Greg Clark)]

We committed in the Queen's Speech to abolishing regional strategies. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has written to all council leaders saying that he expects them to have regard to that as a material planning consideration in any decisions they are currently taking.

[Chris Kelly]

I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer and welcome him to his new position. Will he outline how the Government’s abolition of regional strategies will impact on the provision of Traveller sites of the kind that we already have in Dudley South?

[Greg Clark]

I am grateful for my hon. Friend’s welcome, and I welcome him to the House. I know that he has always been a vigorous local campaigner.

The point behind abolishing the regional spatial strategies is that we believe that local communities should make decisions locally and should have the ability to put them into effect. It is, of course, important to make provision for Travellers, but such decisions should be taken locally.