Oral Answers to Questions

Miatta Fahnbulleh Excerpts

Monday 13th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Patrick Hurley (Southport) (Lab)]

6. What assessment he has made of the potential impact of devolution on economic growth.

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

Devolution to strong local leaders who understand the economic opportunities and challenges in their patch has clear economic benefits: it can drive higher productivity, boost local economies and put more money in people’s pockets. For example, Greater Manchester, which is further along in its devolution journey, has one of the UK’s fastest growing local economies.

[Patrick Hurley]

I am pleased to see that the Government are pressing ahead with their commitment to implement new strategic authorities. May I press the Minister to consider how those new strategic authorities can grow their local economies by providing support for things like community businesses and social enterprises in town centres, helping to regenerate and renovate the neglected high streets we see across the country?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

My hon. Friend is completely right to highlight that. There is a huge opportunity for strategic authorities to support community businesses, co-operatives and social enterprises to help regenerate and revitalise our town centres and build community wealth. We are already seeing that across the country: we see it in Liverpool city region, where significant investment is going into community businesses. We are keen to build on this opportunity and to unlock it across the country.

[Sir Julian Smith (Skipton and Ripon) (Con)]

Devolution is starting off well in North Yorkshire, but North Yorkshire council is really concerned about the upcoming local government settlement, which will obviously be challenging for all councils. May I urge the Secretary of State in his new role to look carefully at the most rural county in England and the particular challenges that it has in delivering services?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

We are looking closely at every area. We know that local government is going through the process of reorganisation at the same time as we are doing devolution. We are doing that at pace, but we are doing it in strong collaboration, working closely with individual areas.

[Fleur Anderson (Putney) (Lab)]

We welcome devolution in London, but the ability of local councils like mine in Wandsworth to tackle growth could be undermined by the changes proposed in the fair funding review. In Wandsworth, 26% of residents and 33% of children live in poverty after housing costs. Will the Minister consider making adjustments to the proposed funding formula to properly account for housing and children’s services and ensure that no council is worse off as a result of the review?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

We have consulted on the fair funding review. My colleague the Minister for Local Government and Homelessness is looking at proposals at the moment, and we will report back in due course.

[Matt Vickers (Stockton West) (Con)]

Devolution can have huge benefits for local people. Using £20 million of funding from the last Government, Stockton-on-Tees borough council has brought forward proposals to change Yarm High Street, but the council has completely failed to properly consult and work with local residents and businesses in developing the proposals, so what could be an opportunity has become a nightmare. Does the Minister agree that such changes should be done with local residents and businesses, and not forced upon them?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

One hundred per cent. Devolution offers the opportunity to put communities in the driving seat and give them genuine power. For example, this Government’s Pride in Place programme puts communities right at the centre, because we think that is how to ensure that communities come together to drive the change that they want to see in their area. We encourage all councils to work closely with their local communities to make that change happen.

[Ben Maguire (North Cornwall) (LD)]

7. What steps he is taking to support the building of social housing in rural towns and villages.

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[Samantha Niblett (South Derbyshire) (Lab)]

10. What assessment he has made of the potential merits of the capital funding request from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust.

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

We recognise the excellent work being done by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust and remain committed to working with it. As my hon. Friend will know, the current fiscal position remains challenging. It is in that context that we are considering funding requests.

[Samantha Niblett]

The Coalfields Regeneration Trust is asking for £50 million to support local initiatives that deliver training courses and community cohesion at ward level. I have spoken to the trust about supporting constituents of mine in ex-coalfield communities in Swadlincote by improving the confidence of people on long-term benefits, so that they can build towards getting paid work, and about providing activities that support community cohesion. I recently visited Bloomin’ Gardens & Landscapes in Church Gresley. People there told me that they were concerned about the lack of interest in careers in gardening and horticulture. What can the Minister do to help me help my constituents, by ensuring that they have opportunities in gardening and horticulture, and can improve their communities?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

The Government remain committed to supporting ex-coalfield communities, such as those in my hon. Friend’s constituency, and to tackling the decline and neglect we saw under the Conservative party. It was our party that established the Coalfields Regeneration Trust in 1999, and we are committed to working with it to support our coalfield communities. That comes alongside our wider efforts to invest in communities that were held back under the Conservative party through our trailblazing Pride in Place programme.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

rose—

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[Mr Speaker]

I am not sure that that is relevant.

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

We recognise that we need to support communities across the country who have been held back. We are working with the Northern Ireland Office to make sure that support is available for communities to renew and regenerate, so that they have the power to drive the change that they want to see.

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[Jo White (Bassetlaw) (Lab)]

T6. Another vape shop opened on one of my high streets in Bassetlaw last week, and yet another opened in a vacated bank less than a month ago. People tell me, and I tend to agree with them, that nobody knows how those shops will sustain an income to keep them going. What are the Government doing to take on rogue traders?

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

My hon. Friend is completely right to raise this issue. That is why we are giving local communities greater powers to control the proliferation of gambling and vape shops. It is also why, through our Pride in Place programme, we are giving communities the funding and tools they need to shape their local high streets, so that those communities can have the shops they want in their place.

[Sir Jeremy Hunt (Godalming and Ash) (Con)]

My constituent Steve Dally was charged £70,000 by Liberal Democrat-controlled Waverley borough council for the apparent crime of building a home extension. I met the Housing Minister earlier this year to talk about abuse of the community infrastructure levy. Could he update the House on his plans to stop it?

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[Perran Moon (Camborne and Redruth) (Lab)]

Cornwall’s economic potential is vast. Cornish renewable energy and critical minerals can power the UK’s transition away from a fossil fuel-based economy, but economic development funding through the shared prosperity fund has come to an end. Can the Secretary of State reassure the people of Cornwall that our economic growth will not be limited by the fact that Cornwall cannot and will not join a mayoral combined authority?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

We recognise the uniqueness of Cornwall. We are committed to working with the local authority to ensure that we unlock the economic opportunities in the area and build on its existing devolution deal.

[James McMurdock (South Basildon and East Thurrock) (Ind)]

The Secretary of State and the other Ministers on the Front Bench have to great fanfare today talked about responsible governance, but Basildon council and its Labour leader have repeatedly failed to meet basic housing standards. Worse than that, its leader has gone live on social media to admit to counting postal votes and using that information to influence a recent by-election. When he is held to account, will Ministers agree to throwing him out of their party?

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[Kim Johnson (Liverpool Riverside) (Lab)]

I am pleased that Everton East in my constituency will receive £20 million in Pride in Place funding. Does my hon. Friend agree that the Pride in Place programme not only talks about devolution, but delivers it?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

My hon. Friend is completely right. We had a decade and a half of decline and neglect under the last Government. This Government are getting to grips with it. I thank my hon. Friend for her enthusiasm and for working together to make this impact and to drive the change we want to see across our communities.

[Monica Harding (Esher and Walton) (LD)]

The Government have now delayed their decision on local government reorganisation in Surrey. Can the Minister assure me that the Government are using this delay to protect my constituents in Esher and Walton from the Tory debt of neighbouring councils with which they might be grouped? Will the planned elections in May go ahead?

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[Sir Julian Lewis (New Forest East) (Con)]

Do the Government accept that it is possible to bring in elected mayors and new strategic authorities without forcibly merging county and district councils in unwanted, cumbersome and remote unitary authorities?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

There are two processes going ahead: the devolution process, driven by economic imperatives to unlock the growth prospects across the country; and the reorganisation process, which is being done to ensure that we have more streamlined and effective public services. We are doing those in tandem, because the last Government failed to get a grip of local government structures and the funding pressures across the piece. We are getting on with it and we are driving it forward. Both processes are being driven with huge collaboration from local authorities across the country.

[Chris Bloore (Redditch) (Lab)]

I thank the Secretary of State for taking the decision to invest £20 million through the Pride in Place scheme in my constituency. For 14 years, two communities—Woodrow and Greenlands —have been forgotten, while inequalities in health, jobs and skills have risen. Does the Minister agree that the right people to decide where that £20 million will go are those who know their communities best?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

I thank my hon. Friend for his enthusiasm. He is absolutely right: we are putting right the neglect and decline that we saw after 14 years, where communities had been held back because the last Government failed to invest. We are putting communities at the very heart, and I look forward to working with colleagues across the House to unlock the potential to change our places.

[Alicia Kearns (Rutland and Stamford) (Con)]

Residents of Rutland overwhelmingly want to join Stamford, but the council is pressing ahead with an unwanted Leicestershire merger; residents of South Kesteven do not want to join a mega Lincolnshire council, but are being pushed towards it; and in Leicestershire my constituents do not want a Leicester city takeover. What reassurance will the Government give that democracy will not die under these reforms, and that local people’s voices will be heard?

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[Rachael Maskell (York Central) (Ind)]

In my kind and inclusive city of York, those who are putting up flags and expressing support for them have been emboldened to perpetrate racism and intimidate communities. They have beaten people up and hung a death threat on our city wall. What further support can the Government give my local authority to enable it to get those flags down, given that even contractors are being intimidated?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

The flag is something that we must reclaim, and reclaim proudly. We know that in some communities flags are being used to intimidate and divide, and we are working with local authorities throughout the country to ensure that they have the support that they need to make those judgment calls, but I return to the fact that the flag is ours, we need to reclaim it, and we need to stand up against those who want to divide our communities across the country.

[Simon Hoare (North Dorset) (Con)]

The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 was never intended to be used by local authorities as an addendum to planning enforcement. The Secretary of State may well have seen recent media reports about this issue. Will he undertake to look into it and to issue guidance to local authorities, explaining that while they have many tools at their disposal, the Proceeds of Crime Act is not one of them?