Jake Berry: As my right hon. Friend knows, the fair funding review is under development, so we are unable to say today whether Hampshire will benefit more than any other area of the country, but his point about having a fair funding review that makes sure that we accurately reflect need throughout the country is absolutely right.
Jake Berry: I do agree. I wonder how much attention the hon. Member for Denton and Reddish pays to his horoscope, because that prediction that has as much accuracy as the figures he has gone through today. Of course, the LGA itself said—in what was an extraordinary intervention from its chairman—that the figures were based on an old formula. It acknowledged that a new formula was being worked on and...
Jake Berry: I will get on shortly to the issue of council tax referendum limits. We continue to engage with colleagues across our local government family, on both sides of the political divide. If we have not engaged directly with Gloucester yet, I will ensure that we do so as part of our discussions. Building on the mandate given in December to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, I want to set out...
Jake Berry: I am sure the hon. Gentleman will welcome the recent discussions that have taken place with local authority leaders across Cumbria. I know that he has influence over his own local authorities, and I am heartened by the open-hearted and open-handed way in which they have approached those discussions. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has been clear that we should seek mayoral combined...
Jake Berry: I am very pleased that we are making such good progress in south Yorkshire. The hon. Gentleman and I, along with many colleagues across the House, welcome that. He is correct to say that mayoral combined authorities have retained their 100% business rate retention for next year. Following the successful pilots, including in areas such as Lancashire— the hon. Member for Blackburn (Kate...
Jake Berry: I suggest to the right hon. Member for North Durham (Mr Jones) that he read page 8 of the Order Paper. The Government’s amendment says that the Government will set out the devolution White Paper and mentions “the £3.6bn Towns Fund and eight Devolution Deals now agreed.” He is a very experienced Member of this House, so I am surprised that he has not yet learned to read the Order Paper...
Jake Berry: Well, we are having fun. As I was saying, the hon. Member for St Helens North approached me outside the Division Lobby, fizzing with excitement. He is embedded on his town board, and is putting aside political differences to work closely with this Government, challenging us on our towns fund and ensuring that he can deliver real benefits for his community. It is only because this Government...
Jake Berry: I am not throwing accusations around. I suggest the hon. Gentleman checks Hansard because whatever the funding gap may be, it would have been much bigger if he and his colleagues had got their way. He voted against more funding for social care, and I suggest he remembers that when he is giving out the lectures. In addition to helping councils address the complexity around the delivery of...
Jake Berry: If we double the council tax that is paid by local people, then I will start to take lectures from the hon. Gentleman about what we should do. He should remember his own record. He entered Parliament in 2005 and was here when all this was happening; perhaps he would like to recall that. Taken as a whole, this protection will mean that we see the lowest average council tax rise since 2016,...
Jake Berry: I have more—I can keep going. I welcome the subject of today’s debate, because it gives us an opportunity to look at the exciting programme that this Government have for devolution, levelling up and supporting our towns. However, it would be remiss of any Member not to take this opportunity to thank everyone who works in local government. I often feel that being a councillor is a...
Jake Berry: I will not; I am concluding. Let me finish by thanking our councillors and our officers, as well as the Opposition for calling this important debate and giving us an opportunity to discuss the Government’s exciting agenda.
Jake Berry: Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?
Jake Berry: rose—
Jake Berry: I just wonder if I could recommend to the right hon. Gentleman’s reading the Government’s December 2018 fairer funding review consultation, in which we specifically deal with the point he has raised about differing council tax bases. So it is not correct to say that this is not dealt with in the fairer funding review. The relevant paragraph is 3.2.2 on page 50 of the December 2018...
Jake Berry: Putney Town Centre is one of the high streets that have been shortlisted for the first round of the Future High Streets Fund. Shortlisted high streets will now produce detailed business cases for investment proposals to renew and reshape town centres and high streets in a way that improves experience, drives growth and ensures future sustainability. Wandsworth Borough Council has received...
Jake Berry: The Government has been supporting local authorities from the outset of the November flooding. The Flood Recovery Framework was swiftly activated, to ensure that local authorities could implement local recovery schemes. In partnership with BEIS, the framework provides funding for local authorities to help affected residents and businesses to recover from the flooding, as well as...
Jake Berry: The manifesto committed to publishing an English Devolution White Paper in 2020. The Government is committed to empowering local places to drive local economic growth. The Queen’s Speech reconfirmed the Government’s commitment to an English Devolution White Paper, further details on which will be made available in due course.
Jake Berry: The Government has committed to improving the assets of community value scheme which was introduced through the Localism Act 2011. As part of this, we will assess the overall the effectiveness of the regulations for local authorities, asset owners and voluntary and community groups to ensure that any legislation the Government introduces will meet our objective of supporting communities to...
Jake Berry: The Government is not able to publish the full selection methodology at this time as it includes information that relates to the formulation and development of government policy which is still live and ongoing.
Jake Berry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many businesses in (a) Rossendale and Darwen, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West have (i) applied to and (ii) been successful in their application to the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.