Business of the House Debate

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Department: Leader of the House

Business of the House

Shockat Adam Excerpts
Thursday 3rd April 2025

(2 days, 4 hours ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lucy Powell Portrait Lucy Powell
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As my hon. Friend says, we are committed to introducing a short-term let registration scheme. I will get for her the latest estimation for delivery of that scheme. We are also abolishing the furnished holiday lettings tax regime. I know that both those things will be of great significance to her constituents.

Shockat Adam Portrait Shockat Adam (Leicester South) (Ind)
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In the words of the legendary rock band 10cc:

“I don’t like cricket…I love it.”

However, with reduced council budgets and annual park budgets falling by 14% over a decade, and with the pressure on urban playing fields meaning that we have lost 50% of playing fields to other developments, clubs in my constituency, including the South Asian and Caribbean cricket clubs, which go strategically from grassroots cricket to professional players, have now found themselves homeless. Will the Leader of the House schedule a debate to discuss the valuable contribution of grassroots sports and how they can be protected in the future by supporting things like “A Better Future for Parks and Green Spaces”?

Lucy Powell Portrait Lucy Powell
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I am a fan of cricket myself. It is something that my children enjoy, but the hon. Member is absolutely right to identify the diminution we have seen in cricket playing fields, in cricket sports clubs and in grassroots sports over recent years. This Government are committed to grassroots sports. We have put extra money into that, and we are also putting extra money into local government so that it can support the kind of measures he wants to see.