Budget Resolutions

Debate between Shockat Adam and Angela Rayner

Monday 2nd November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Angela Rayner]

I did just say that we are working with all remaining areas. We will continue to do so where we can find local consensus, because we are the party of devolution and believe in working with local leaders.

Later this year, we will publish our full plan for rewiring the state, which will outline a vision for devolution in England. The changes that we have announced are about devolution, not delegation. Where powers and functions are transferred, they will not be duplicated at the centre. This means that, over time, central Government will become smaller but more strategic.

[Shockat Adam (Leicester South) (Ind)]

The Secretary of State mentioned Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Can she please give a date for when this devolution will happen? We are severely missing out on the funds and pots of money that are going elsewhere.

[Angela Rayner]

Again, we are working with local areas to make sure that we progress as quickly as possible. We are happy to engage with local leaders as part of that programme.

As we move towards a local government finance settlement, we will continue working with local leaders to plan and invest for the long term. I am clear that local government is the foundation of the public services on which neighbourhoods and communities rely, which are essential to our wider ambition to rewire the state.

Building Safety (Remediation of Unsafe Cladding etc) Bill

Debate between Shockat Adam and Angela Rayner

2nd reading
Tuesday 27th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Angela Rayner]

I am really sorry to hear about the situation in my hon. Friend’s constituency. Since the Grenfell tragedy, many hon. Members across the House have had similar experiences of fires, including fatalities. As I outlined in terms of the thousands of buildings that need remediation, that is one thing that weighs heavily on my mind every night as Secretary of State. I would not want my family to be in a property that was unsafe. That is why the Bill is so important. He made an important point about waking watches, which I will come to further into my speech.

[Shockat Adam (Leicester South) (Ind)]

Although only 10% of 394 developer-pledged projects have been completed, I believe that under the Bill resident management companies could face criminal charges while the developers who sign the pledges would not. Can the Secretary of State clarify whether that is the case?

[Angela Rayner]

We are trying to ensure that those who are responsible will be part of that. We know that manufacturers and so on have been using routes to try to get out of paying their fair share and doing what they need to do. This remediation Bill is about closing some of the gaps we see. I look forward to working with the hon. Gentleman as the Bill goes through the House.

We have also ensured that social housing providers have ambitious targets for the completion of all remediation work for which they are responsible. The data is clear that the action is working: since we published the remediation acceleration plan, remediation has been reported to be completed on over 470 more buildings. That is about 35,000 more residents who can at least feel safer in their homes.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Shockat Adam and Angela Rayner

Monday 2nd December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Angela Rayner]

Again, we have been looking at how we build safe, secure, energy-efficient homes that bring down people’s energy bills. The previous Government saw energy bills go up really high. We are introducing Great British Energy so that we can bring bills down, and are building the homes that people desperately need.

[Shockat Adam (Leicester South) (Ind)]

I am sure that the House agrees that affordable housing is important. However, my experience in Leicester South is that all too often it is provided in new developments, as homes for shared ownership or as similar housing products, which are out of reach for the poorest in my community. What my community really needs is more social rented houses. What is the Secretary of State doing to promote the construction of social rented homes, as opposed to other affordable housing products?

[Angela Rayner]

I agree with the hon. Member that we need more social homes. That is why we have been putting more into the affordable homes programme. We have made it absolutely clear that under section 106 notices, which he mentioned, homes need to be affordable; that is why we have put affordability tests in the NPPF. We want to ensure that people have those homes, and we want to build the next generation of council and social housing—and we will.