Hansard - United Kingdom Parliament

9 Oral Answers
20 JUNE 2011
Oral Answers
10
and public confidence has been shattered by a combination
of the Minister’s incompetence and the Government’s
economic management. Does he not recognise that the
latest figures from the National House-Building Council—
the most authoritative source—show that housing starts
in April 2011, the latest for which figures are available,
are 18% down on last year?
Grant Shapps: I am deeply shocked that the right
hon. Gentleman, who is an acknowledged expert on
housing, has chosen to judge what is going on in the
housing market on the basis of a single month’s figure,
rather than an entire year’s worth of data which shows a
22% increase in housing starts. Housing starts mean
that homes get built, which is turn means that we are on
the road to recovery in terms of starts and builds.
Kelvin Hopkins (Luton North) (Lab): It has been
reported recently that millions of people will never be
able to afford to own their homes, and that only those
who inherit equity from their families will be able to do
so. However, equity will increasingly be used to pay for
long-term care, and owner-occupation will diminish. Is
that not the reality?
Grant Shapps: The hon. Gentleman is right to draw
attention to a serious problem involving both long-term
care and a reduction in people’s ability to buy homes.
That has happened because house prices tripled over
the 10 years following 1997. Eight out of 10 first-time
buyers are buying their homes through the bank of
mum and dad, but today those without that ability will
be pleased to hear about our Firstbuy scheme, which
will help more than 10,000 people in England to get a
foot on the housing ladder for the first time.
Fire and Rescue Services
8. David Wright (Telford) (Lab): What recent
discussions he has had with representatives of fire and
rescue services on the effects of reductions in their
budgets; and if he will make a statement. [60280]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for
Communities and Local Government (Robert Neill): I
regularly meet representatives of fire and rescue authorities.
My door is always open to their members if they wish
to discuss their concerns. I have specified seven areas in
which fire and rescue authorities might make efficiency
savings, but the setting of fire authority budgets and
service delivery are a local matter which is determined
by individual fire and rescue authorities and not by
central Government.
David Wright: Shropshire fire and rescue service
“has been hit by unprecedented cuts to its grant from Central
Government, with a 12.6% reduction for years 2011-12 and
2012-13”.
Those are not my words, but the words of the chief fire
officer in a letter sent to me the other day. Services and
engine cover in Telford are to be reorganised. If response
times fall away, will the Minister look again at the grant
allocation for the Shropshire fire service?
Robert Neill: The local government grant accounts
for only about 38% of the Shropshire fire and rescue
authority’s total budget. Its spending power has therefore
been reduced by only 2.1%, while its capital grant has
been increased by 32%. The disposition of appliances
and staff is, of course, a matter for the authority.
Miss Anne McIntosh (Thirsk and Malton) (Con): As
my hon. Friend knows, following the floods of 2007
and the tragedy in Hull the Pitt report placed an obligation
on fire services to provide the right equipment in the
event of future floods. Will he ensure not just that that
obligation exists but that money will be provided, and
will he insist that local authorities make that happen?
Robert Neill: Some of the most important equipment
made available for such purposes is the “new dimension”
equipment that is provided through a central Government
grant. The Government have continued to fund the
equipment directly, and I am glad to say that, with the
exception of one item, all of it is duly being rolled out.
Chris Williamson (Derby North) (Lab): In February,
the Under-Secretary of State accused me of scaremongering
about the impact of his cuts on the fire service. However,
freedom of information requests have confirmed that
he has already presided over more than 1,000 firefighter
job losses, although the Prime Minister pledged to
supply funds to the fire service front line. Can he tell us
whether he expects further firefighter cuts in the next
12 months, and if so, how many?
Robert Neill: The disposition of firefighters is entirely
a matter for local authorities, whose job is to ensure
that they fulfil their statutory obligations and meet their
integrated resource management plan. Provided that
they do those two things, it is not for central Government
to micro-manage them. I know that it is difficult for the
hon. Gentleman to understand that.
Unauthorised Development
9. Mr David Evennett (Bexleyheath and Crayford)
(Con): What plans he has to increase the powers of
local authorities to tackle unauthorised development.
[60281]
16. Andrew Jones (Harrogate and Knaresborough)
(Con): What plans he has to increase the powers of
local authorities to tackle unauthorised development.
[60289]
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local
Government (Mr Eric Pickles): The Government take
the problem of unauthorised development very seriously.
There are already strong powers to enable local planning
authorities to take action, and the Localism Bill, which
begins its Committee stage in the House of Lords
today, includes provisions in clauses 108 to 111 to
strengthen authorities’ powers to tackle unauthorised
developments, particularly when people have deliberately
tried to conceal them.
Mr Evennett: I thank my right hon. Friend for his
response and the work he and his Department are doing
in this field. Does he believe the policies in the Localism
Bill to which he has just referred will speed up the
planning and enforcement process to help tackle the
problems caused by unauthorised developments and
business operations?