Oral Answers to Questions

Esther McVey Excerpts

Thursday 25th November 2010 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am very grateful to the Minister.

[Esther McVey (Wirral West) (Con)]

15. If he will take steps to encourage community ownership of local assets and facilities.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Andrew Stunell)]

The Government will make it easier for communities to take on community assets through the community right-to-buy provisions in the localism Bill. Practical help is already available from the Government-funded asset transfer unit and from the Communitybuilders programme, and the big society bank will step in to help social enterprises and voluntary sector organisations early next year.

[Esther McVey]

Does the Minister agree that the Government need to do more to empower communities to improve their local areas and take over amenities, such as community centres and allotments? What steps will the Government take to ensure that those initiatives are taken up in the forthcoming localism Bill?

[Andrew Stunell]

First of all, I commend Wirral borough council for setting up its own fund for the transfer of community assets and for making the launch of those much more feasible. I hope that other local authorities will look at that example.

The community right to buy will be a powerful option for neighbourhoods and community groups that want to take on assets, and that will be backed by money. The asset transfer unit and Communitybuilders, a project lasting through to 2014, will be there to provide support. I also want to make quite sure that the House understands that the big society bank will be there to assist as well.