Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Burns Excerpts

Thursday 23rd March 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jones]

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

We recognise the importance of refuges. That is why we are exempting refuges from the 1% social rent cap policy, and exempting them from the local housing allowance rate until 2019-20. We are working closely with organisations that provide refuges to ensure that we get the new system for supported housing right, so that we can continue to provide those refuges, which are so badly needed.

[Sir Simon Burns (Chelmsford) (Con)]

I warmly welcome what the Government are doing in this crucial area, but what work is being done with local authorities and social housing providers on the next stage, which is ensuring that there are enough homes for women and their families to return to that provide a safer environment?

[Mr Jones]

I reassure my right hon. Friend that we are working closely with housing associations on that important issue, and particularly on getting the funding stream right for supported housing. We are also working on bringing badly needed new supply on stream.

Oral Answers to Questions

Simon Burns Excerpts

Thursday 9th February 2017 Commons Chamber

[Karen Bradley]

I very much got the gist of the question, Mr Speaker. I do appreciate the point. We are well aware of it, and we are working across the Government to address it.

[Sir Simon Burns (Chelmsford) (Con)]

T2. Will the Minister tell the House what work her Department is doing to help small charities to secure public service contracts?

[Karen Bradley]

My right hon. Friend raises a very important point. We all know that the voluntary sector has the ability to bring greater social value to our public services, but we also know that it can sometimes face barriers when up against more established providers. That is why we announced a new programme of measures in this area in December and why an implementation group chaired by Sir Martyn Lewis and attended by my hon. Friend the Member for Reading East (Mr Wilson), the Minister for Civil Society, met for the first time yesterday to lead our work on this issue.