Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stephen Timms and Brandon Lewis

Monday 25th November 2013 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Timms (East Ham) (Lab)]

5. What assessment he has made of local authorities’ use of article 4 directions to limit excessive occurrence of particular use types on high streets.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Brandon Lewis)]

Local authorities are required to notify my Department of article 4 directions before they are brought into force. In the year to 31 October 2013, 97 article 4 directions have been made by 43 local authorities.

[Stephen Timms]

Today the Treasury has finally moved on payday loans, which is welcome, so why is the Department making it easier for payday lenders, betting shops and fast-food takeaways to open up without planning permission? Does he recognise the concerns of the Local Government Association and others that article 4 directions are

“ineffective, inefficient and heavily bureaucratic”?

[Brandon Lewis]

I appreciate that the right hon. Gentleman has shown a consistent interest in this area. Article 4 directions apply to different parts of the sectors that he has outlined and local authorities can use licensing and a range of other powers to keep things under control. I would suggest that the right hon. Gentleman discuss the matter with his Front-Bench team, which seems happy to be entertained by the gambling industry rather than do something productive about it for the benefit of our high streets.

Local Government Finance Bill

Debate between Stephen Timms and Brandon Lewis

Wednesday 31st October 2012 Commons Chamber

[Stephen Timms]

On the point of simplicity, many of us, including Government Members, sat through the Welfare Reform Bill debates, in which the simplicity of universal credit was presented to us as a great advantage. This change undermines that simplicity—fatally, it seems to me. As the director of the Social Market Foundation said in an article this morning, under this proposal

“not only will you need a computer to work out your benefit entitlements, you’ll need a map”.

[Brandon Lewis]

Coming from a party that had 32 different benefits to work through, I find that quite an amazing comment.