Nick de Bois
Main Page: Nick de Bois (Conservative - Enfield North)
Justin Tomlinson (North Swindon) (Con)
3. How much funding his Department is providing to help freeze council tax.
Nick de Bois (Enfield North) (Con)
4. How much funding his Department is providing to help freeze council tax.
Martin Vickers (Cleethorpes) (Con)
13. How much funding his Department is providing to help freeze council tax.
Mr Pickles
Of course the council should be congratulated on its magnificent achievement; no doubt my hon. Friend’s constituents are very pleased. His council joins the seven out of 10 Conservative councils that have frozen council tax compared with only half of Labour councils. Furthermore, two thirds of Conservative police and crime commissioners froze their council tax, but no Labour commissioners have done so.
Nick de Bois
Is the Secretary of State surprised, like me, that despite the extra funding Enfield council insists that it has to make cuts to council tax support for the most deprived? It finds enough money to send highly paid directors and Labour councillors off to France to property conferences.
Mr Pickles
That would not be the property conference in Cannes, by any chance? No doubt that is very enjoyable. It strikes me that my hon. Friend’s council has its priorities all wrong. It should not be attacking the vulnerable, but making sensible savings and protecting the most vulnerable.