Local Government Reorganisation

Debate between Steve Reed and Andy MacNae

Thursday 16th July 2026 Commons Chamber

[Steve Reed]

I thank my hon. Friend for her question and her support for the changes being brought in, which, indeed, she has long advocated for. As a powerful advocate for her area, she will ensure that the changes happen successfully. Up to £1 million is available for each area undergoing reorganisation, to ensure that services transition safely and securely into the new organisations that will be responsible for running them.

[Andy MacNae (Rossendale and Darwen) (Lab)]

I have long been a proponent of the principles of LGR, which Lancashire and my constituents have desperately needed for a long time. It is a chance to reinvent local government. However, today, in respect of a decision made by the Secretary of State, I have to associate myself with the comments made by my parliamentary neighbours, my hon. Friends the Members for Burnley (Oliver Ryan) and for Hyndburn (Sarah Smith). I cannot accept the suggestion—the claim—that these boundaries match the natural economics of Lancashire. It will leave us with the most deprived local authority area in the country. We are good at making the best of things, so I ask the Secretary of State to work with me and us to bring in the much more significant capacity and capability funding that we need to reverse that deprivation and catch up with neighbouring places, such as Manchester. Will he meet me and east Lancashire colleagues to drive this forward with urgency?

[Steve Reed]

I thank my hon. Friend for his question and his powerful advocacy for his constituents. The changes we are making are, in part, intended to lay the framework for the mayoral devolution that will follow. That will provide significant new powers for Lancashire when it comes. I am happy to ensure that he gets the meeting he has asked for.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Steve Reed and Andy MacNae

Thursday 4th September 2025 Commons Chamber

[Andy MacNae (Rossendale and Darwen) (Lab)]

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

[The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Steve Reed)]

As we have heard, this summer has seen wildfires burning across our countryside. I add my thanks to the emergency services, who were out in force to battle those fires, but so too were farmers, gamekeepers and local volunteers who gave up their time and resources to control the fires and help put them out. I pay tribute to all of them for their selfless bravery and community spirit.

The fires came at the end of a long period of drought. Visiting farms this week and earlier in the summer, I saw for myself how food production has been affected. It is clear that further work is required to support farmers to build on-farm reservoirs and irrigation systems that can sustain their businesses through dry periods, and I have invited the NFU to work with me on that. I want to use this opportunity, though, to thank farmers for the outstanding work that they do to feed our country through thick and thin.

[Andy MacNae]

As we move into autumn, flooding is once again on the minds of residents in Rossendale and Darwen. This Government have already made vital commitments to our flood defences, but recently some communities have expressed concern that flood modelling is out of date and is either not fully identifying risk areas or identifying risk areas as high-risk that no longer are. The Environment Agency is aware of that, so will the Secretary of State join me in urging it urgently to prioritise new modelling?

[Steve Reed]

My hon. Friend makes an important and timely point. Through the floods resilience taskforce, we are looking at how we can update the modelling to make sure that all areas that need protection will get the investment to do it, because far too many communities are exposed to the dangers of flooding. That is why we are investing £4.2 billion between 2026 and 2029 to protect our communities and better maintain our flood defences in England.