Business of the House
Debate between Lee Dillon and Lucy Powell(2 weeks, 2 days ago)
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Lucy Powell
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. I hear the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashton-under-Lyne (Angela Rayner) talk about this issue regularly. She rightly makes the point that council housing used to be seen as the poor relation, but these days it is actually a luxury to get a council house. That is why, as part of our target to build 1.5 million new homes, a huge boost in social and new council housing is absolutely at the heart of meeting that target. As he says, having a secure, affordable home is the bedrock to a successful life.
Mr Lee Dillon (Newbury) (LD)
As the Leader of the House will be aware, the community infrastructure levy is a requirement to make a contribution towards essential infrastructure. However, in West Berkshire, Waverley, Horsham and Bracknell Forest, there is evidence that exemptions that should have been given were not, resulting in residents being charged incorrectly and then chased by debt collectors for recovery of those fines. Will the Leader of the House allow a debate in Government time to discuss that important issue? Will she also congratulate Councillor Jeff Brooks, the leader of West Berkshire council, who has so far refunded £200,000 to residents who were incorrectly charged?
Lucy Powell
I am sorry to hear of the hon. Gentleman’s constituents who have been incorrectly charged and then chased down for those debts, but I am pleased to hear that some of that is now being put right. I know that there is a debate in Westminster Hall on the regulation of the bailiff sector, where he may want to raise some of those issues. However, I will happily raise what he has mentioned with Ministers and ensure that he gets a full reply.
Business of the House
Debate between Lee Dillon and Lucy Powell(4 months, 1 week ago)
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Mr Lee Dillon (Newbury) (LD)
I extend my warm wishes to the Leader of the House on her special birthday.
With one pharmacist per 7,200 residents, West Berkshire has the lowest provision of pharmacists in the country—the national average is one pharmacist per 4,600 residents. Will the Leader of the House allocate Government time to debate how the current NHS pharmacy contract restricts the availability of pharmacists, particularly in west Berkshire?
Lucy Powell
The hon. Gentleman makes a good point. Rolling out the availability of pharmacy services is vital for the Government’s agenda on prevention and on providing services—be they GPs or pharmacies—in every community. Those are important matters. I know that the Health Secretary will continue to update the House. Health questions are next week should the hon. Gentleman wish to raise the matter then.
Business of the House
Debate between Lee Dillon and Lucy Powell(5 months, 2 weeks ago)
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Lucy Powell
I thank my hon. Friend for that excellent question. He is right to make the point that the current bus franchising system is incredibly bureaucratic and lengthy. That is why in the King’s Speech we announced a better buses Bill, which will come before the House and will significantly reduce the time and bureaucracy that such things take. I hope that the Peterborough mayor will take time and ensure that that legislation is in place before he embarks on the necessary taking back control of buses in his area.
Mr Lee Dillon (Newbury) (LD)
Since November 2021, the custody suite at Newbury police station has been closed, leading to greater travel times and more time when police are not on the beat. Can the Leader of the House allow Government time for a debate on the provision of custody suites across the UK and the impact of the closures under the last Conservative Government?
Lucy Powell
I thank the hon. Member for raising that important matter. Over the summer, with the acts of thuggery and the disorder that we saw in the riots, we found real problems in our criminal justice system. We have good people doing good work, but a system creaking at the seams. Police custody suites are very much part of that challenge. We will have to do a lot of difficult work to get our criminal justice system fit for purpose so that we can quickly bring people to justice and ensure that those convicted of crimes are kept away from the public.