Results 1-20 of 22 for climate change speaker:Hazel Blears

Local Democracy, Economic Development and Construction Bill [ Lords] (1 Jun 2009) has video

Hazel Blears: ...and I am always keen to explore these issues with the right hon. Gentleman, who has a great deal of experience in this area. There are principles of sustainability that apply to the environment, climate change and creating the kind of community that is not just about building houses, but the schools, transport, shops and facilities that go with them. These principles of sustainable...

Written Ministerial Statements — Communities and Local Government: Departmental Expenditure Limit (2008-09) (25 Nov 2008)

Hazel Blears: Subject to parliamentary approval of any necessary supplementary estimate, the Department for Communities and Local Government's Departmental Expenditure Limits for 2008-09 will change as follows: (1) The Department for Communities and Local Government's Main Programmes DEL will be increased by £248,654,000 from £11,250,662,000 to £11,499,316,000 and the administration budget...

Written Ministerial Statements — Communities and Local Government: PPS6 (Revisions) (10 Jul 2008)

Hazel Blears: ...promoted. Today, there is more retail development in and around our town centres than at any time during the last ten years, but we cannot be complacent—particularly in the current economic climate. Evidence shows that there is scope to refine the policy and make it more effective. In last year's Planning White Paper "Planning for a Sustainable Future", the Government committed to...

Orders of the Day: New Clause 11 — Intervention: defence and national security (25 Jun 2008) has video

Hazel Blears: .... There are a series of such amendments, including amendments Nos. 69, 71, 292 and 328. They would ensure that the IPC considered a list of criteria, including mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, limiting the negative impact of a development, widening the framework, looking at all relevant planning policy statements, the views of statutory environment agencies and material...

Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: Topical Questions (15 Jan 2008)

Hazel Blears: ...feed-in tariff system but the way in which local people, local neighbourhoods and local communities can contribute to that important agenda. If he looks at the recent planning policy statement on climate change, he will see some welcome statements about the role of communities in terms of combined heat and power and on some of the other issues that he has pursued.

Orders of the Day: Planning Bill (10 Dec 2007)

Hazel Blears: ...it fairer, more efficient and ready to equip Britain for the challenges of the 21st century. It will speed up decisions on major projects that are vital to our economic future. Together with the Climate Change Bill and energy Bill, it will accelerate our transition to a low-carbon economy. At every stage it will reinforce the democratic principle that everyone should have a fair say on the...

Orders of the Day: Planning Bill (10 Dec 2007)

Hazel Blears: ...on with my speech. I have only just got to 1947, and I need to make a little bit more progress. The Labour Government of that time were committed to positive steps for managing a period of great change, and my hon. Friend the Member for Sherwood (Paddy Tipping) raised the importance of that point. At that time, the Government were rebuilding blitzed cities, building new towns and...

Orders of the Day: Planning Bill (10 Dec 2007)

Hazel Blears: I am grateful to my hon. Friend, and I know that she takes a significant interest in these issues. This Bill, the Climate Change Bill and the energy Bill are part of an integrated package to ensure that we can meet our challenging targets on climate change. If we can speed up some of the applications in the system for renewable energy sources, particularly wind farms, that will help us...

Orders of the Day: Planning Bill (10 Dec 2007)

Hazel Blears: ..., as I know that many hon. Members want to speak in the debate and I do not want to squeeze them out. On town and country planning, I want to mention a couple of areas in which we are going to make changes. They are minor issues in the context of the Bill, but they are actually very important. We are going to make it easier for families to extend their homes. Planning permission under...

Orders of the Day: Planning Bill (10 Dec 2007)

Hazel Blears: ...such as wind turbines and solar panels will not be required, provided that we get the system right and it does not impact on neighbours. It will enable people to embrace this method of tackling climate change in a big way and not require planning permission.

Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: Climate Change (27 Nov 2007) has video

Hazel Blears: The local government White Paper, published by my Department, sets out the framework for local authorities to take action on climate change, and we are putting in place a number of initiatives to support it, including new performance indicators to help local authorities to measure progress on carbon reduction, and information and guidance for local authorities on climate change mitigation...

Oral Answers to Questions — Communities and Local Government: Climate Change (27 Nov 2007) has video

Hazel Blears: My hon. Friend raises an extremely important point. She will know that in the new local government performance framework, for the first time, there are indicators in relation to climate change. In those areas where we really need to make a difference, we will be able to incorporate those indicators into the local area agreement. There will be measuring and monitoring, and the local...

Written Ministerial Statements — Communities and Local Government: Planning Reform (27 Nov 2007)

Hazel Blears: ...and decent transport have quality of life implications for everyone. We need to ensure that the planning system enables us to meet the long-term challenges we face as a society: to meet our climate change objectives by speeding up the shift to renewable and low carbon energy, supporting the development of low and zero carbon homes and businesses; and ensuring development is resilient to...

Orders of the Day: Local Government and Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (8 Nov 2007) has video

Hazel Blears: ...Act 1947, which set out the guiding principles for a framework that has endured for 60 years. Today, it is a Labour Government who are ready to renew that framework to meet the modern challenges of climate change, the economic pressures of globalisation and the need for a secure energy supply. In particular, it is vital to improve the system for nationally significant infrastructure such...

Written Answers — Communities and Local Government: Departments: Ministerial Responsibilities (8 Oct 2007)

Hazel Blears: ...areas of policy Physical and housing-related regeneration and sponsor minister for new Homes Agency implementation Housing and Regeneration Bill Urban policy and design Sustainable development and climate change: including the code for sustainable homes and building regulations Minister for the Thames Gateway, new growth points and growth areas Olympics legacy issues Minister for Local...

Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Flooding (England) (9 Jul 2007)

Hazel Blears: .... Gentleman asks me about the financial support. In these circumstances, the Bellwin scheme will be extended to cover 100 per cent. of costs, and he asks why that is not the norm. We have made the change because we are looking at exceptional circumstances; the rainfall was unprecedented. It is right that the Bellwin scheme should continue and that we should have the flexibility to extend...

Oral Answers to Questions — Home Department: Flooding (England) (9 Jul 2007)

Hazel Blears: ...a telling point about prevention being better than cure. These matters will be considered across Government. There is always a need to prioritise, but with events such as these and thinking of the changes in climate, we need to make sure that we put our money where it can be used to best effect to try to protect as many people as we can.

Orders of the Day — Terrorism Bill — [1st Allotted Day]: Clause 1 — Encouragement of Terrorism (2 Nov 2005)

Hazel Blears: ...acts of terrorism. That imports an objective test of his belief. From what Members have said, one could think that this is a completely novel formulation in this Bill, but it is not. In fact, a change was recently introduced in the offence of rape whereby there is an objective assessment of somebody's belief. The person is no longer able to say, "I believed there was consent"; the test is...

Written Answers — Health: Green Ministers (9 Jul 2002)

Ms Hazel Blears: ...Committee meetings. The Department takes a close interest in all Green Ministers' Committee discussions and takes action where appropriate to implement decisions or set work in train. For example, climate change adaptation was considered by Green Ministers' Committee in March 2002. Although the Department is not the lead Department on this issue, it does have an important role in assessing...

Elderly Care (Isle of Wight) (29 Jan 2002)

Ms Hazel Blears: .... If standards are not being met in a few respects, the commission will note that fact in its inspection report, write to the home owner and give reasonable time in which to make the necessary changes. I hope that that will greatly assist people in the sector. Another important issue is that it has been difficult to recruit residential and nursing home staff. We want to ensure that, in...