Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Henry Smith and Rishi Sunak

Monday 28th January 2019 Commons Chamber

[Damien Moore (Southport) (Con)]

15. What steps his Department is taking to ensure an equitable distribution of funding to local authorities.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Rishi Sunak)]

We are undertaking a review of local authorities’ relative needs and resources to develop a new, more transparent funding formula that will be fit for the future. We are making good progress in collaboration with the sector and recently launched a consultation that will close on 21 February.

[Henry Smith]

This financial year the Government have granted Crawley Borough Council more than £700,000 for homelessness reduction, and this coming financial year it will be more than £800,000. However, the leadership of the council are complaining about a lack of capital funding for a homeless shelter when it has reserves of more than £21 million. Can I have an assurance from the Department that local authorities will be asked to properly deploy their resources to help the most vulnerable?

[Rishi Sunak]

The people of Crawley are lucky to be represented by someone who had a very successful career in local government. My hon. Friend is excellently well placed to know that any council should look at using its excess reserves first, rather than refusing to invest in local services or unduly increasing the burden on hard-working taxpayers.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Henry Smith and Rishi Sunak

Tuesday 9th January 2018 Commons Chamber

[Henry Smith (Crawley) (Con)]

1. What steps his Department is taking to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.

[Rishi Sunak (Richmond (Yorks)) (Con)]

4. What steps his Department is taking to tackle the illegal wildlife trade.