Public Spending

Philip Hollobone Excerpts

Thursday 17th June 2010 Commons Chamber

[Danny Alexander]

The hon. Lady will know that it is a foundation trust which is coming to the Government for additional funding. She may not be aware, however, that consent for the project was given on 10 March 2010, so it is within this period. Of course I accept that the decision will be very disappointing for people who have worked on the project for that time—I do not wish to belittle that at all—but in the context of the economic situation that we face and the decisions that we have to make, it is right and proper to judge such projects on the strict value-for-money and affordability grounds that we have applied.

[Mr Philip Hollobone (Kettering) (Con)]

Which factors convinced the Chief Secretary to cancel the local authority business growth incentives scheme?

[Danny Alexander]

It was the fact that there is no substantive evidence that it has had any effect on doing the job that it was supposed to do or set out to do—to encourage local authorities to work with business.