Oral Answers to Questions

John Bercow Excerpts

Monday 30th June 2014 Commons Chamber

[The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Eric Pickles)]

With permission, Mr Speaker, I will answer question 1—

[Mr Speaker]

I remind the Secretary of State that he is seeking to answer that with question 16. I shall be advised if I am mistaken or if he has changed his mind.

[Mr Pickles]

Thank goodness someone is paying attention to what is going on.

To be helpful, I have published “50 ways to save”, a practical guide to councils on how they can make the most of their budgets to protect front-line services and keep council tax down.

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[Mr Speaker]

I call the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell)—[Interruption.] After the initiative of the right hon. Gentleman in bringing about the grouping and then in so graciously recollecting the fact that he had done so, the hon. Member for Romford is sadly not with us.

[Mr Pickles]

Perhaps I was prescient.

[Mr Speaker]

Yes, the right hon. Gentleman might have been prescient. I am sure the hon. Member for Romford was told by the Department. If he was not, we are sorry. If he was, he should be here and we are sorry that he is not. No doubt further and better information will become available in due course.

[Mr Marcus Jones (Nuneaton) (Con)]

2. What steps he is taking to encourage development on brownfield land.

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[Nick Boles]

I would never dare to tread into the question of people’s football loyalties, particularly not at this time. I understand the right hon. Gentleman’s frustrations, but the matter has not entirely been with the Department as we have had to refer back to parties on some complex questions. I am keen to make a decision as soon as possible, but I know that he will want that decision to hold up in court and it is therefore important to ensure that it is robust.

[Mr Speaker]

The Minister might not be an Arsenal supporter, but I most certainly am—and very proud of it.

[Andrew Gwynne (Denton and Reddish) (Lab)]

Surely the planning Minister understands that there has been an increasing trend, particularly in urban areas, to use greenfield sites while land banking brownfield sites, often leaving them derelict in the heart of our towns and city centres. What is he doing to ensure that that land-banked land is brought into active use to provide regeneration benefits for our towns and cities?

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[Christopher Pincher]

Is my hon. Friend as concerned as I am about Labour’s high street policy review, which suggests that business rates may be levied on farm land? Does he not agree that—

[Mr Speaker]

Order. I am sure that the Minister’s views on Labour party policy would be of great interest and possibly a source of edification, but they are not relevant now, because this is about Ministers’ responsibility for Ministers’ policies and those of the Government. The wry smile of the hon. Member for Tamworth (Christopher Pincher) suggests that he is well aware of that fact.

[Stella Creasy (Walthamstow) (Lab/Co-op)]

T1. If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.

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[Dr Julian Lewis (New Forest East) (Con)]

One stated objective of the Homes and Communities Agency’s programme for the allocation of economic assets is to

“align the assets with local economic ambitions and thereby to create more effective local economic development strategies”.

However, for Hythe marine park in New Forest East, the HCA seems minded to appoint a preferred bidder on the basis of just a moderately higher bid, without regard to those other important elements. Will the Minister comment on the need for the HCA to follow its own guidelines when appointing preferred bidders for something that will have such a major impact throughout the constituency?

[Mr Speaker]

I cannot wait to hear the reply, but I wonder whether we ought to have an Adjournment debate on the matter.

[Kris Hopkins]

I have had the opportunity to visit HCA departments around the country, and there is some tremendous work delivering the houses that are needed. I take the point that my hon. Friend has raised. I will see the chief executive of the HCA this afternoon, so I will take a note with me.

[Mr Speaker]

I am in a generous mood so I will call Mr Davies and then I will give the hon. Member for Tamworth (Christopher Pincher) a chance to do better the second time round.

[Philip Davies (Shipley) (Con)]

The people of Micklethwaite in my constituency are grateful to the Secretary of State for twice rejecting an inappropriate planning development there. Unfortunately, the Labour council has now approved a very similar development, with grave concerns from local residents about the planning process, and what appeared to be a whipped vote. Will the Secretary of State look into that to see whether he can intervene, and whether any rules can be brought in to stop repeat applications for the same site?

[Nick Boles]

There are already rules that enable councils to resist applications that are very similar to ones that have been rejected, and it is only a shame that my hon. Friend’s local authority did not see fit to explore what possibilities are open to it.

[Mr Speaker]

Last but not least, Mr Christopher Pincher.

[Christopher Pincher (Tamworth) (Con)]

Mr Speaker, I know my place; regrettably, you appear to know it too.

Will the Secretary of State rule out levying business rates on farmland—as some have suggested—because that will hit farmers and will also hike the price of food for hard-working families?

[Mr Speaker]

The hon. Gentleman has put the same question—he just sanitised it.

[Mr Pickles]

And very good it was too. Let me be absolutely clear: we have no plans to impose taxation on agriculture by extending the rating system to agricultural land. We rule that out absolutely.