Oral Answers to Questions

Ian Levy Excerpts

Monday 20th February 2023 Commons Chamber

[Lee Rowley]

I am grateful to the hon. Lady for her comments. I absolutely agree that fly-tipping is a scourge and a crime, and that local authorities have the resources and the ability to try to do this and to crack down on it. I encourage them to do so.

[Ian Levy (Blyth Valley) (Con)]

13. What steps he is taking to support local authorities in tackling antisocial behaviour.

[Kate Kniveton (Burton) (Con)]

18. What steps he is taking to support local authorities in tackling anti-social behaviour.

[The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Michael Gove)]

Across Government, we are developing an action plan to tackle antisocial behaviour. We are looking at stronger enforcement and swifter justice, as well as supporting young people into sports and other activities. This action builds on our wider investment in tackling crime and antisocial behaviour, including our recruitment of an additional 20,000 police officers.

[Ian Levy]

Antisocial behaviour and petty crime have long been a problem in Blyth Valley, which is why I have been meeting the police, community groups and local retailers to try to resolve the issues. Will my right hon. Friend please agree to meet me to discuss the matter in greater detail, and hopefully find where the support is?

[Michael Gove]

I absolutely will. My hon. Friend, who is a spirited champion for the communities in Blyth Valley, recognises how important it is that we work together with other agencies to deal with antisocial behaviour, that we have swift and certain justice, and that we ensure that perpetrators clear up the mess they have created. Above all, we have activities to intervene upstream and ensure that the persistent absentees and truants of today, who could go on to become the antisocial actors of tomorrow, are helped back on to the right path.

Oral Answers to Questions

Ian Levy Excerpts

Monday 17th October 2022 Commons Chamber

[Andrew Stephenson]

I would be very happy to meet the hon. Lady.

[Ian Levy (Blyth Valley) (Con)]

T5. As Blyth Valley is now at the heart of the renewable energy sector, I have the pleasure of informing the House that work is about to start on an £11 million STEM training centre at the Port of Blyth, which will give young people the skills and education that they need to move forward in the world of work. Does my hon. Friend agree that that has been achieved by having a Conservative Government, a Conservative-led county council and a local Conservative Member of Parliament?

[Dehenna Davison]

My hon. Friend is an incredibly passionate campaigner for Blyth. I am glad to hear that construction will soon begin on that indispensable part of its £20.9-million town deal. I understand that the Energy Central learning hub will provide a range of state-of-the-art industrial training, which all shows the positive difference a Conservative Government, a Conservative council and a Conservative MP working together can make for Blyth residents.

Oral Answers to Questions

Ian Levy Excerpts

Monday 16th May 2022 Commons Chamber

[Michael Gove]

The hon. Lady suggests we are being Neronian in fiddling while Rome burns, but I prefer to think that we are like Julius Caesar: we have crossed the Rubicon, alea iacta est—the die has been cast—and the Bill will be on the statute book in this parliamentary Session.

[Ian Levy (Blyth Valley) (Con)]

The Forget-Me-Not group in Blyth is working hard to secure better opportunities for everyone in its local area of Cowpen Quay; however, the group needs a base in the community to house and deliver its services. This is grassroots levelling up, so will my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State agree to meet me to discuss exactly what we can do to help these people?

[Michael Gove]

My hon. Friend is right to highlight the work of the Forget-Me-Not group in Blyth, which is doing amazing work in Cowpen Quay. I will do everything I can to support the group and will meet my hon. Friend to do so.

Towns Fund

Ian Levy Excerpts

Thursday 4th February 2021 Commons Chamber

[Ian Levy (Blyth Valley) (Con) [V]]

As the first Conservative MP for Blyth Valley, I have been given the opportunity to help breathe life into my hometown, which has been neglected for many decades. Having lived in Blyth all my life, I have seen at first hand the decay and abandonment that the town centre has experienced, despite its great potential. I was delighted when the town centre was awarded £11.12 million of funding from the future high streets fund, to allow for much-needed investment and improvement.

The towns fund provides limitless opportunities for regions across the country to unleash their full potential, while delivering on the Government’s agenda to level up. Such investment has the capacity to dramatically improve, regenerate and unite towns and communities across this wonderful country of ours. In Blyth, the funding will support the revitalisation of Blyth marketplace and Bridge Street by providing new leisure and cultural facilities at the heart of the town centre. As part of the recovery from the pandemic, the announcement on 25 September that shovel-ready projects in the constituency will be given a £750,000 boost was particularly welcome. I am extremely pleased that major work will start soon on improving Bowes Street, which will immediately make a real difference to the town.

In addition, the £1.5 million of funding confirmed for the reopening of the Northumberland rail line will transform the town centre into a flourishing, prosperous and vibrant one. This allocation of funding is a great testament to those at the heart of the community who show great resolve and overcome the challenges we face, working together, and I am confident that Blyth will have a bright and prosperous future for generations to come.

Oral Answers to Questions

Ian Levy Excerpts

Monday 16th November 2020 Commons Chamber

[Kate Griffiths (Burton) (Con)]

What steps he is taking to support regeneration in towns.

[Ian Levy (Blyth Valley) (Con) [V]]

What steps he is taking to support regeneration in towns.

[Mark Logan (Bolton North East) (Con)]

What steps he is taking to support regeneration in towns.

--- Later in debate ---

[Ian Levy [V]]

Since my election, I have heard from many constituents who have concerns about the neglect of the high street in Blyth. The town has applied for money from the high streets fund as well as the towns fund. While I realise that there has to be a fair and transparent process for selecting the successful schemes, will my right hon. Friend assure me that he will do all he can to help the people of Blyth in the Conservative aim to level up? Let’s build back better.

[Robert Jenrick]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. Blyth is one of the initial places chosen to develop proposals for the towns fund and for the future high streets fund, and we recently provided £750,000 to make immediate improvements to Bowes Street. I was also pleased that, as part of our £900 million getting building fund, two projects in Blyth are seeing investment from the Government, including £2.6 million for the creation of the UK’s first offshore wind centre for robotics. So, from improving one of the town’s historic streets to green jobs for the future, the Government are investing in new opportunities for Blyth.