Budget Resolutions and Economic Situation

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Lord Pickles

Friday 20th March 2015 Commons Chamber

[Mr Pickles]

We are talking about something in the region of £400 million in London. The hon. Lady needs to understand that she is the queen of the cheap point. None of us will forget the tweet she sent out—[Interruption.]

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. Just to help everybody, it should be the Chair who everybody speaks to and addresses.

[Mr Pickles]

Thank God you’re here, Mr Deputy Speaker. I was very happy to address the hon. Lady, but you were absolutely right to pull me up on that point of etiquette.

The plans are there; they are published. If the hon. Lady cannot be bothered to look at the plans and work with her local council, that is hardly our fault.

Winter Floods

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Lord Pickles

Thursday 6th February 2014 Commons Chamber

[Mr Pickles]

I suspect that might concern my coalition partners. I can recognise an elephant trap when it is there.

With regard to eligibility, absolutely—the local authority will of course be eligible for the scheme. The hon. Gentleman’s council has not yet made a claim, which is not unreasonable, and that is why we have extended it to the end of March.

The amount of building on the floodplain is at an all-time low. In fact, it is the lowest—[Interruption.] I am terribly sorry, but there are noises off. As I was trying to say before I was bullied by Opposition Members, such building is at the lowest level ever. I think that about 99% of objections by experts in relation to floodplains have been successful.

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

I do not think that we need to worry about the Secretary of State being bullied. Any Bradford Bulls supporter well knows how to deal with being bullied.

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[Mr Deputy Speaker]

Before the Secretary of State stands up, may I say that we need quick questions and brevity in answers? I want to get every hon. Member in on this important statement, but there is a very important and over-subscribed debate to follow.

[Mr Pickles]

The hon. Gentleman asks whether we should make responding to flooding a statutory requirement for our fire authorities. I am afraid that that is a rather old-fashioned view. How we respond to emergencies is well set out through local resilience forums: it relates not just to the fire authority, but goes right across local authorities, including to the health authority and the like. Frankly, those obligations are laid down in legislation and work perfectly well.

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[Mr Deputy Speaker]

Order. I think that the Secretary of State has certainly got the message. It is not helpful for other hon. Members to join in, because I may have to ask for the question to be repeated if I cannot hear it. I want to get you all in, but please help me to do so.

[Mr Pickles]

Heaven forbid that the last question should be repeated! The hon. Gentleman is simply gullible if he believes everything that comes from the unions. He seems to be more interested in union rights than in the people who are suffering because of the flooding.

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[Mr Deputy Speaker]

That is a bad example of being brief. Hon. Members must be brief; otherwise, they will stop colleagues getting in.

[Mr Pickles]

I will have a look at that.

Cost of Living

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Lord Pickles

Tuesday 14th May 2013 Commons Chamber

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. As the Secretary of State has pointed out, he does not have time to give way. Voices can be saved for tomorrow.

[Mr Pickles]

I am most grateful, Mr Deputy Speaker.

Labour in Wales hit the housing market with extra red tape, adding £13,000 to the cost of building a new home in comparison with England. Labour has cut the right to buy, abolishing it completely in parts of Wales. Labour has failed to introduce support for new home buyers. Their new-buy scheme will not start until next year.

Whether it be in England or Wales, Labour’s economic policy could be summed up, to paraphrase Ronald Reagan, as “If it moves, tax it; if it keeps moving, regulate it; if it stops moving, subsidise it”. Labour wants to tax enterprise and hard-working people to pay for the same old borrow-and-spend policies. It wants to regulate small business, high streets and landlords—

Growth and Infrastructure Bill

Debate between Lindsay Hoyle and Lord Pickles

Tuesday 16th April 2013 Commons Chamber

[The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles)]

I beg to move, That this House disagrees with Lords amendment 7.

[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

With this it will be convenient to discuss Lords amendments 1 to 6, 8 to 24 and 26 to 40.

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[Mr Deputy Speaker (Mr Lindsay Hoyle)]

Order. We must have shorter interventions.

[Mr Pickles]

When I became Member of Parliament for Brentford and Ongar, my predecessor gave me a single file and two pieces of advice. The first was that when the sun rose I should always be found in my own bed, and the second was “Never, in any circumstances, become involved in planning.” Since then, I have been made a Planning Minister. My advice to my hon. Friend is not to become too heavily involved in disputes between neighbours.