Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Oral Answers to Questions

Jack Lopresti Excerpts
Monday 3rd March 2014

(10 years, 9 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Kris Hopkins Portrait Kris Hopkins
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Quite often the media headlines on rent prices are the advertised rate. The figures I quoted are from the Office for National Statistics, and they are the actual figures tenants are charged after taking up a residency, so they are actually the true figures, rather than those advertised in the media.

Jack Lopresti Portrait Jack Lopresti (Filton and Bradley Stoke) (Con)
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2. What progress he has made on improving the planning protection afforded to valued and profitable pubs.

Stephen Williams Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Stephen Williams)
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We have made it clear through the national planning policy framework that local planning policies and decisions should guard against the unnecessary loss of valued community facilities, such as pubs.

Jack Lopresti Portrait Jack Lopresti
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I thank my hon. Friend for that answer. Does he agree that designating a local pub as a community asset is an important way of protecting it against being sold off?

Stephen Williams Portrait Stephen Williams
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Yes, I do. I strongly encourage all hon. Members across the House to engage with their local communities, and perhaps with the Campaign for Real Ale, to see what pubs need protection and to get that protection in place before there is a danger of them being sold off.