Building Safety

Debate between Mike Amesbury and Robert Jenrick

Thursday 5th September 2019 Commons Chamber

[Robert Jenrick]

As I think I said earlier, we will always be guided by the safety of residents, but we must be led by the evidence, and the consultation I am launching today will do exactly that. We will consider the appropriate threshold and whether measures need to be applied to other high-risk buildings of different types.

[Mike Amesbury (Weaver Vale) (Lab)]

I welcome the Secretary of State to his post. Some 11,500 firefighters’ jobs have been cut since 2010. What representations has he made to other Departments?

[Robert Jenrick]

As I said in my statement, I have worked very closely with the Home Secretary in preparing this announcement. The protection board will be a partnership between the fire and rescue services, the Home Office and my own Department. The funding that the Chancellor has made available for this will help to ensure that fire and rescue services that participate are properly funded for that work.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mike Amesbury and Robert Jenrick

Tuesday 5th March 2019 Commons Chamber

[Robert Jenrick]

My hon. Friend has been raising this matter assiduously. At the spring statement in 2018, the Government announced that Medway’s housing infrastructure fund bid was shortlisted for the next stage of assessment, and we look forward to receiving the final proposal later this month. It will be considered alongside other HIF bids.

[Mike Amesbury (Weaver Vale) (Lab)]

10. Whether he plans to change the level of funding allocated to social care.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mike Amesbury and Robert Jenrick

Tuesday 22nd May 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mike Amesbury (Weaver Vale) (Lab)]

7. What fiscal steps his Department is taking to increase regional productivity.

[The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Robert Jenrick)]

The Budget showed our determination to improve productivity, increasing the national productivity investment fund by £8 billion to £31 billion. With substantial investment in the regions of the UK, such as the £1.7 billion transforming cities fund, we want to help all parts of the country achieve their potential.

[Robert Jenrick]

I entirely agree with my hon. Friend. Raising productivity is the only sustainable way to grow the economy, boost wages and improve living standards, which is why we have given it such a clear and determined focus. With respect to Aberdeenshire, the North sea oil and gas industry is one of those sectors that have seen the greatest productivity increases in recent years. We will continue to support that with a highly competitive tax rate.

[Mike Amesbury]

Given that average UK productivity is 30% below German levels, does the Minister agree it is now time to rebalance our economy and support further devolution for areas such as Cheshire and Warrington?

[Robert Jenrick]

It was of course this Government who one year ago created the Mayors across the UK, including in Greater Manchester, and several of them, including Andy Street, have had a great impact on their local economies. I have had conversations with the leader of the Cheshire and Warrington local enterprise partnership and the Minister responsible at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to take such matters forward.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Mike Amesbury and Robert Jenrick

Tuesday 27th February 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mike Amesbury (Weaver Vale) (Lab)]

15. What fiscal steps he is taking to support regional infrastructure development.

[The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (Robert Jenrick)]

As the Institute for Fiscal Studies has confirmed, under our plan, public investment will reach levels not sustained since the late 1970s by the end of this Parliament. We want to see that investment across the United Kingdom. We are delivering £13 billion of transport investment in the north and have launched a £1.7 billion transport fund to transform our great cities.

[Mike Amesbury]

Devolution in the Labour-controlled Liverpool city region and Greater Manchester is beginning to unlock opportunities for investment in infrastructure, research and development, and innovation in the north-west, allowing facilities such as the Daresbury campus in my constituency to develop and prosper. Does the Minister agree that if we are to be able to realise the full potential of our regions, devolution needs to extend to the many of my constituents and not the few?