Clive Efford
Main Page: Clive Efford (Labour - Eltham and Chislehurst)Local Government Finance
Clive Efford Excerpts
Mr Pickles
Fortunately for the fate of the VOA, it is not accountable to me. It is a constant source of amazement and entertainment, but I hope that it will see reason so far as my hon. Friend’s constituency is concerned.
Clive Efford (Eltham) (Lab)
Can the Secretary of State tell us what local authorities will be doing to generate growth under the new scheme that they are not doing now?
Mr Pickles
God help us if the hon. Gentleman does not understand that. Local authorities work hard to bring new things into their areas and to ensure that there is a balance. The difference between this system and the existing system is that, at the moment, despite everything that the local authorities do, we take the money away from them and it goes back into a central pool. In future, they will keep that money, which will give them an incentive—[Interruption.] The hon. Gentleman clearly does not seem terribly familiar with the entrepreneurial system that exists. His counsel of despair is that we cannot do anything and should not do anything but continue to stand here with our hands out. That is not really a policy; it is a surrender.