Results 1-20 of 1,133 for (in the 'Commons debates' OR in the 'Westminster Hall debates' OR in the 'Lords debates' OR in the 'Northern Ireland Assembly debates') speaker:Julia Goldsworthy

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: My question was not only about the reports that will be produced in December, but about whether there will be a debate and a vote on them.

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: Again, the legislation makes it clear that the area covered can be one or more parts, whole local authority areas or any combination, and can include any other arrangements. There can be different arrangements for different reports. That is not excluded by the legislation.

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: Is that not disappointing, given the great opportunity to engage with the many thousands of people who want the process to work?

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: The hon. Gentleman is talking about the proposals put forward by councils, but 43 per cent. of the proposals that have gone forward to the LGA are related to devolving powers in respect of finance and decision making. Does not that make it even more important that the local spending reports are meaningful documents?

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: I am very grateful, and I hope that this intervention is helpful. One of the key issues raised by the Secretary of State was that the format under which the local spending reports were set up made it more difficult to provide the meaningful information that the hon. Gentleman wants. However, the legislation makes the position absolutely clear. Clause 6(1) of the 2007 Act states: "For the...

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: At the start of the debate, there was talk about consensus on this issue, but the consensus has clearly broken down—although it may have started to return towards the end of the Secretary of State's remarks. I have been struck by the extent to which the debate has descended into a process-driven discussion. One reason why it is such a privilege for me to have another opportunity to...

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: The Secretary of State makes a valid point. I am simply trying to say that although central Government have a role to play in enabling this information to be made available, they do not have to be the ultimate publisher of it all.

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: I do not want this to be a debate about the best process for making this information available; the debate needs to be about agreeing that people have the right to see this information and then to have an impact on any decisions flowing from its being made available. I do not see any need for the Government to be the ultimate national publisher; they just need to unlock the information being...

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: Surely the help that local businesses have received via the RDAs is a classic example of regional spending having an impact at a local level, where it would be beneficial for the public to know the quantities of money being spent in their areas.

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: Does the Secretary of State accept, given the large numbers of individuals and organisations that supported these measures, that this will have undermined their confidence in the process and made them less confident that it will be successful? Is not that the fundamental problem? If we are trying to encourage people to participate, will not this failure to meet their expectations undermine that?

Opposition Day — [20th Allotted Day]: Local Spending Reports (28 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: The line of argument that the Secretary of State is following assumes that local communities want this information to compare their spending with that of other local areas. Actually, this is all about feeding into a process of how to reprioritise funding within their own areas. For example, the right hon. Gentleman talks about university funding, but the local community may be saying, "We...

Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: Regional Spatial Strategy (27 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: Does the Secretary of State agree that the regional spatial strategy process has undermined people's confidence in the planning system? Why does he think that so many people are so angry?

Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: Regional Spatial Strategy (27 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: Does the Secretary of State not realise that it is the lack of transparency and accountability in the process that frustrates people so much? I shall quote to him the comments of the planning inspector in relation to the south-west draft RSS: "The emerging RSS has reached an advanced stage...and so its policies may be given significant weight." Why is a draft document that has not been signed...

Parliamentary Elections (Recall and Primaries): New Clause 6 — Purposes of regional development agencies (13 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.

Parliamentary Elections (Recall and Primaries): New Clause 6 — Purposes of regional development agencies (13 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: New clause 6 has a number of similarities with other amendments in this group, which raise concerns and questions about the proposals to extend the powers and remit of the regional development agencies. It goes back to the original remit of the RDAs, and highlights our concern that the economy will remain the key and most prominent driver of development, despite claims made in earlier debates...

Parliamentary Elections (Recall and Primaries): New Clause 6 — Purposes of regional development agencies (13 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: I agree, but unfortunately that is only the latest in a long line of disappointments on this issue. The Government like to talk a good game about wanting to give people real information about the public money being spent in this area, but they seem to try to prevent that debate at every opportunity. The result is that they do not have to deliver the commitment that they promised in earlier...

Parliamentary Elections (Recall and Primaries): New Clause 2 — Parish polls (13 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: While listening to the contributions of the hon. Member for Manchester, Blackley (Graham Stringer) and for Stroud (Mr. Drew)—I am sure that other hon. Members will make similar contributions—it struck me that we should have had measures such as their proposals in the Bill. We should have had an opportunity to remove hurdles in primary legislation, including unintended hurdles,...

Parliamentary Elections (Recall and Primaries): New Clause 2 — Parish polls (13 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: I understand the hon. Gentleman's going through the failure of all Departments to address this issue. However, the consultation specifically refers to regional bodies. I am sure that a lot of people would be frustrated to find that the petition of 30,000 signatories against the south-west regional spatial strategy has had no formal response. Should not the Government have considered that...

Parliamentary Elections (Recall and Primaries): New Clause 19 — Mutual insurance (13 Oct 2009) has video

Julia Goldsworthy: The hon. Member for Milton Keynes, South-West (Dr. Starkey) has raised an important issue that we have not discussed previously in proceedings on this Bill. It is important to pay tribute to the Changing Places campaign that has done so much to draw attention to this issue and to put pressure on local authorities to improve their standard of provision. I can understand why the hon. Lady is in...