Oral Answers to Questions

Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh Excerpts

Monday 6th June 2016 Commons Chamber

[Brandon Lewis]

I agree with my hon. Friend on many things, but on this I have to say that the problem is that people who own their own home would end up in negative equity, people who are looking to buy would struggle because supply would fall through lack of investor confidence, and, given that as mortgage rates go up the cost of buying also goes up, affordability could get worse.

[Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh (Ochil and South Perthshire) (SNP)]

4. What progress has been made on discussions on a Tayside region city deal.

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

Discussions on a Tayside city deal are going well. The Under-Secretary of State for Scotland met Dundee City Council on 16 May to further those discussions. More work is being done but we welcome what has been done so far.

[Ms Ahmed-Sheikh]

A Tayside region city deal will be great for people across Tayside and for my constituents in South Perthshire. Will he set out the timescale agreed for finalising the deal, and, more importantly, whether the UK Government expect that they will be the majority funder of the project or, as is the case in Aberdeen, they expect the Scottish Government to underwrite the majority of the investment?

[James Wharton]

I do not wish to pre-empt the conclusion of the discussions that are underway. As I said, the Under-Secretary of State for Scotland met Dundee City Council on 16 May. He is meeting the leaders of Scottish cities again on 8 June. I hope the deal can be concluded quickly, with agreement, as it will benefit not only all those who live there, but the UK economy as whole.