Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between David Mowat and Simon Danczuk

Tuesday 11th October 2016 Commons Chamber

[David Mowat]

My hon. Friend is right: social care funding is tight. It is also true to say that those parts of the country that do the best in this regard—there are some that do considerably better than others—have integrated social care and health most effectively. On the budget itself, there is some disparity among different local authorities. About a quarter of local authorities have increased their adult social care budget by 5% or more this year.

[Simon Danczuk (Rochdale) (Ind)]

3. If he will publish the full scientific evidential basis for his Department’s alcohol consumption guidelines; and what representations he has received on those guidelines.

The High Street

Debate between David Mowat and Simon Danczuk

Tuesday 21st May 2013 Westminster Hall

[Simon Danczuk]

It is neither. My hon. Friend the Member for Blackley and Broughton (Graham Stringer) made the point that Amazon is not paying full corporation tax, and there is a discrepancy in business rates, so I suggest that we need to overhaul the whole business rates system. It is simply not fit for purpose.

I am aware that many other voices are not locked into the myopic consensus that characterises Government thinking on the high street. One of them is that of Bill Grimsey, a turnaround specialist, who was formerly the chief executive of Wickes, Iceland and other companies. I met Bill recently, and he explained that town centres cannot be saved as pure retail destinations. Technology is already influencing how we shop, and in the future everything will change. What is required, he argued, is a holistic approach to creating vibrant high streets that addresses housing, education, health, entertainment and shopping.

[David Mowat (Warrington South) (Con)]

I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on securing the debate. He has not yet addressed something that probably costs retailers more than business rates: credit card interchange fees. If they were reduced to what Europe has said the cross-border level should be, £1 million would be put into every MP’s high street. That is an enormous amount of money. Would the hon. Gentleman therefore give the Government credit for acting on credit card interchange fees through the recent consultation, and does he hope that we can make progress? That would make a substantial difference, by putting demand into local economies.

[Simon Danczuk]

I welcome that intervention. I am not very familiar with the issue, and it has not been raised with me in relation to the high street, but the hon. Gentleman makes an interesting and important point, about which I am keen to learn more.

We need a fully focused, committed approach by Government, not another dose of dilettante PR. Currently, it is hard to know who is in charge of high street policy. Let us just spend a moment trying to make sense of where the change we need is coming from.

The Business Secretary turned up at the recent Retail Week Live conference and talked about accepting Mary Portas’s 38 recommendations, when there were only 28. The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government is constantly in the newspapers, using emotive language to talk about car parking charges while he continues to cut council budgets to the bone. A Department for Communities and Local Government Minister claims that the unfair business rates revaluation delay is right, despite not one voice in retail supporting the move. The Minister with responsibility for Portas pilots and high streets carries out the role on a part-time basis while he tends to his main duties as housing Minister, and today we have a planning Minister addressing this high street debate.

I say to the Minister that someone needs to get a grip. We need a full-time high streets Minister and clear, strong leadership from the Government. Only then might the Prime Minister’s woolly rhetoric about ensuring that high streets are at the heart of every community start to mean something.

Regional Growth Fund

Debate between David Mowat and Simon Danczuk

Tuesday 1st November 2011 Westminster Hall

[Simon Danczuk]

I would not disagree, but my point is that the regional growth fund is not working effectively, although it might look attractive. We may have a limited amount of money, but it needs to be spent well, wisely and effectively. The measure of the regional growth fund, particularly given the amount being made available, was whether it would create private sector jobs to replace the jobs lost in the public sector. All the indications are that that is not occurring; indeed, we know that for a fact because unemployment—particularly youth unemployment—is going up. As a mechanism and policy, therefore, the regional growth fund is failing.

[David Mowat (Warrington South) (Con)]

Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

[Simon Danczuk]

I am going to conclude.

In conclusion, awards are being made too slowly, there is too much bureaucracy, there is a lack of transparency and the amount available is inadequate.