Oral Answers to Questions

Graeme Morrice Excerpts

Monday 20th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Pickles]

I invite the hon. Lady to come to my office and talk with Louise Casey. I do not think there is a scintilla of truth in anything the hon. Lady said, and I greatly regret the breach in bipartisanship towards the programme. Our books are open, so she should come in to see them. I have to tell her, in the nicest possible way, that she should put up or shut up.

[Graeme Morrice (Livingston) (Lab)]

14. What assessment he has made of changes in demand for larger social homes since April 2013.

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

We do not undertake a national assessment of need as we believe that such assessments are better made at a local level. In the new affordable homes programme we will encourage the building of homes to match local needs, including smaller properties in areas with a shortage, and funding for larger homes where that is appropriate.

[Graeme Morrice]

There is much evidence to suggest that the Government’s bedroom tax is responsible not only for an increase in the number of empty larger properties but for escalating rent arrears and significant extra costs to social landlords. As my hon. Friend the Member for Warrington North (Helen Jones) said, why is the Minister defending this iniquitous and failing policy that is resulting in abject misery for thousands of families up and down the country?

[Kris Hopkins]

There is no evidence that removing the spare room subsidy has had that impact. There will be an assessment in the spring, when we will look at that. I would imagine that any of the 1.69 million people who are currently on waiting lists in a council area with an empty house would be outraged that they are still on a waiting list and are not being accommodated by the local council. There should be no empty homes out there when such a significant number of people are demanding a house.

--- Later in debate ---

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

The Daily Telegraph is no doubt one of your favourite newspapers, Mr Speaker, as it is of mine, but it is in the business of selling copies, so it sometimes needs to entertain and provoke as well as inform. I can reassure my hon. Friend that we are not proposing any further major planning reforms, but simply a few minor tweaks to the administrative process of discharging planning conditions.

[Graeme Morrice (Livingston) (Lab)]

T5. Under the Bellwin scheme, the Government give emergency financial assistance to local authorities that are hit by natural disasters. In June and July last year, the Government provided 100% of emergency expenditure, but they are providing only 85% for the more recent floods. Will the Minister explain how the damage caused and the costs incurred more recently are different from what they were then?

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

So far, 37 authorities have indicated that they plan to make a claim through the Bellwin fund. As I said earlier, all the local authorities that have been affected are coming in to talk to us about the recovery process. I am sure that they will want to raise the issue of funding. The Bellwin fund is well tested, it works and local authorities know how it works. We will obviously work with any authority that needs specific help.