Rushanara Ali: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to make my maiden speech in this important debate, particularly as employment was one of the central themes of my campaign. It is an amazing privilege to be standing here as the Labour MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, a place described as the heart and soul of this great country, of which I am incredibly proud to be a citizen. I feel...
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps he plans to take in response to the recommendations of the Rugg Review on the private rented sector; and if he will make a statement.
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding from the public purse has been allocated to the London borough of Tower Hamlets for the purposes of servicing debt on its Housing Revenue Account in each year since 1997.
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much (a) Housing Investment Programme and (b) Major Repairs Allowance funding was allocated to council housing in the London borough of Tower Hamlets in each year since 1997.
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many (a) social rented homes and (b) low cost home ownership homes were built in the London borough of Tower Hamlets in each year since 1997.
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the £41 million funding allocated to the regeneration of the Ocean Estate in Stepney by the Homes and Communities Agency has been included in the Government's review of public expenditure decisions.
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much funding from the public purse has been allocated to each of the arm's length management organisations in round six of his Department's programme; and if he will make a statement.
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what inspection rating the Audit Commission has given to each arm's length management organisation since 2001; and if he will make a statement.
Rushanara Ali: Does my right hon. Friend agree that the current cuts in local government belie any notion of fairness or progressiveness? The London borough of Tower Hamlets is the third most deprived borough in the country yet it faces one of the largest cuts: £9 million, of which £1 million is from the working neighbourhoods fund. That is in addition to a likely £55 million of cuts over the next three...
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many of the affordable homes in the Olympic Village development owned by Triathlon Homes will be made available as social rented homes for people on local housing waiting lists in (a) Tower Hamlets and (b) other host boroughs.
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many families resident in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets are in receipt of (a) housing benefit, (b) housing benefit of over £250 per week for a one bedroom property, (c) housing benefit of over £290 per week for a two bedroom property, (d) housing benefit of over £340 per week for a three bedroom property and (e) housing...
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how many residents of (a) Tower Hamlets, (b) Hackney, (c) Waltham Forest, (d) Newham and (e) Greenwich are employed at the London 2012 Olympics site; what steps his Department is taking to increase local employment opportunities; and how many jobs in the host boroughs he expects to be created by the London 2012 Olympics.
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many mothers resident in Bethnal Green and Bow constituency received the Health in Pregnancy grant in each year since its introduction.
Rushanara Ali: Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to speak in this debate. I should like first to congratulate my fellow new Members, from all parties, on their maiden speeches. I am also grateful to Opposition Members for their passionate speeches in this debate. The Bill represents only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the regressive impact of the Government's plans. I want to...
Rushanara Ali: We all know that income inequality rises in periods of boom. It is not acceptable, and personally I would rather that we had been able to do much more. As under previous Governments, income inequality increased. However, social inequality decreased. Like many Opposition and Government Members I worked passionately to reduce poverty and we did reduce child poverty nationally. I regret that we...
Rushanara Ali: I agree completely. My constituency is situated between the City and Canary Wharf, and although I and many people in my constituency are grateful for the contribution that responsible bankers make through local community work and so on, the reality is that a small but significant minority have brought the economy almost to a standstill. That is not acceptable, and bankers ought to be asked to...
Rushanara Ali: What discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues on the future funding of the decent homes programme.
Rushanara Ali: I thank the Prime Minister for that reply. Is he aware that some 7,000 council homes in Tower Hamlets still need to be brought up to the decent homes standard? The previous Government committed £220 million towards addressing the problem. Will his Government honour that commitment to my constituents?
Rushanara Ali: May I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether there will be a job guarantee with the 50,000 placements that will be arranged under the apprenticeship programme? Also, where is the logic in making people wait so long? There are still many unemployed people in my constituency. After someone has been unemployed for six months, the private sector will treat them as long-term unemployed. How can it...
Rushanara Ali: rose-