Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stuart Andrew and Mohammad Yasin

Thursday 9th March 2023 Commons Chamber

[Mohammad Yasin (Bedford) (Lab)]

T6.   The leisure sector faces severe challenges coming out of covid and seeing energy bills increasing by 300%. Leisure centres in my constituency have contacted me to ask why they are excluded from the Government’s energy and trade intensive industries scheme. Can the Minister tell me why publicly owned pools and centres have been left off the list of sectors eligible for vital support, and does he acknowledge that closures of not-for-profit facilities are inevitable unless something is done?

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Stuart Andrew)]

As I said earlier, I am acutely aware of the difficulties that are being felt, but they are happening in different parts of the country, which is why we are taking time to have a look at exactly where those specific problems are and what measures we may be able to take to introduce some help and support. The other thing to think about is that some of these buildings are very old and very expensive to run, so we perhaps need to consider a longer-term solution as well.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Stuart Andrew and Mohammad Yasin

Monday 16th May 2022 Commons Chamber

[Stuart Andrew]

I am afraid that the hon. Gentleman is completely wrong. We have a very ambitious affordable homes programme. More than £11 billion is being spent on a range of different options. We are also introducing an infrastructure levy that makes as many, if not more, contributions to the delivery of affordable homes. I do not understand why the hon. Gentleman has a problem with giving people in social housing the opportunity to become homeowners. I have to tell him that on the council estate where I grew up, it made a real, transformational difference to the social mobility of the families who were able to enjoy that great policy.

[Mohammad Yasin (Bedford) (Lab)]

10. What steps he is taking to help reduce financial pressures on local authority budgets.