Andrew Selous: Clause 21 is an important clause; it deals with the local child poverty needs assessment. I shall speak first to amendment 7, which is in my name and that of my hon. Friends the Members for South-West Hertfordshire and for Billericay, and then touch on amendment 72, which was tabled by the hon. Member for Regent’s Park and Kensington, North. I want to focus, in relation to amendment 7,...
Roberta Blackman-Woods: I want to take the opportunity to ask the Minister some questions about the clause because, at present, it is not entirely clear what it could mean for local people and local communities. The clause seems to allow the Secretary of State to make regulations, which presumably will be debated by the House at some stage, for fees payable in relation to an application and, in particular, make...
Roberta Blackman-Woods: I do not agree with the hon. Gentleman that activities would be limited. In fact, I believe the opposite. The whole point is to spread to schools that might not already provide them a range of opportunities for young people to undertake community work or some other activity that would benefit their local community. That seems to be a sensible and laudable thing to do. To answer his second...
John Hutton: I am sorry that I did not respond to that point earlier. We dealt with some of those issues in the consultation process that considered the establishment of NHS foundation trusts. We shall later discuss the application to NHS foundation trusts of the general obligation to consult local communities about any substantial change to the pattern of services. In both of those areas, the hon....
Alex Cunningham: The Minister places a lot of stock in the word “significant”. To play devil’s advocate—perhaps against myself—she may be holding out a false promise to some of the communities we have heard described today. If a gang of Travellers turn up with 10 caravans, move on to someone’s land illegally—or it would be illegal under the Bill—take their rubbish away and do the work they...
Nick Hurd: The essence of my argument on clause 2 is the same as my argument on clause 1. Although the goal is desirable, we see no need to legislate. We want as many local authorities as possible to seize the opportunity to engage with social enterprises as part of the solution to some of the problems and challenges that we all face in the current resource-restrained environment. As the hon. Gentleman...
“In Part 1 of the 1981 New Towns Act delete section 4 (1) and insert— ‘(1) The objects of a development corporation established for the purpose of a new town shall be to secure the physical laying out of infrastructure and the long-term sustainable development of the new town. (1A) Under this Act sustainable development means managing the use, development and protection of land and...
Chloe Smith: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for giving me the chance to deal with that question before moving on to the rest of what I need to say this morning. It is my understanding that Department for Communities and Local Government plans help to ensure that the externalities involved in the very broad community infrastructure levy reforms are properly funded. It is my understanding that if the...
Mike O'Brien: Much progress has been made on delivering Release 1 against the background of competing priorities for IT systems suppliers. EPS Release 1 deployment is virtually complete. All GP and pharmacy suppliers have completed the compliance process. The cumulative prescription volume is 207,195,907 as of 11 June—a relatively up-to-date figure. Some 95 per cent. of GP services are technically...
Mike O'Brien: Much progress has been made on delivering Release 1 against the background of competing priorities for IT systems suppliers. EPS Release 1 deployment is virtually complete. All GP and pharmacy suppliers have completed the compliance process. The cumulative prescription volume is 207,195,907 as of 11 June—a relatively up-to-date figure. Some 95 per cent. of GP services are technically...
Rob Wilson: An annual study reports on these things, and the studies show that in reaching black and minority ethnic communities and those on free school meals, the NCS Trust is doing extremely well in capturing more of those people on to the scheme than the national average. There is supportable evidence to show that it is doing well. We want to continue to monitor it and make sure that it continues to...
Peter Hunt: There are lots of examples of community-owned businesses such as pubs, shops and even post offices. You can already look to those that currently exist. The point is really, in all of this, that once a business becomes unviable, the decision needs to be taken about it. If that decision is whether it stays or goes, it might be a bit blunt as an instrument. You can also look at a...
Jim Murphy: Sir Nicholas, what is it about? I have already offered to supply an explanatory memorandum. Obviously, all members of the Committee have followed every detail of the specific clauses under part 3, but those hon. Members who have not had the benefit of serving on the Committee might not have so acquainted themselves. As for rules, regulations, orders and schemes, paragraph 1500 in volume 6 of...
Richard Caborn: Very much so. If the hon. Gentleman lived in the real world he would know that, for example, of the 140,000 sports clubs that we now have in this country, 40,000 to 50,000 are entitled to claim community amateur sports club status: after consultation with the Central Council for Physical Recreation and all the governing bodies, there are now tax breaks and 80 per cent. mandatory rate relief,...
Jeremy Wright: I thank the right hon. Member for Dwyfor Meirionnydd and the hon. Member for Hammersmith for presenting their amendments—some considerable time ago now. I will try to deal with the large group of amendments before us. I hope that the Committee will bear with me as I take each amendment in turn. Let me start with amendment 30, which would make provisions in section 256AA of the Criminal...
Paul Burstow: No. If, despite that, a provider should fail, we will ensure patients’ access to essential services. The intention of the Labour Government in introducing foundation trusts, which is supported by the present Government, was to make NHS providers accountable to their local community, instead of looking to Whitehall. Foundation trusts’ unique governance structure was designed to do exactly...
David Heath: Amendment No. 2 deals with the now familiar subject of locality, proximity, accessibility—call it what you will. It makes the point that directions may be given under clause 30(2) ''to ensure that court-houses are accessible to persons resident in each local justice area.'' Clause 30(1) states that ''The Lord Chancellor may give directions as to the places in England and Wales at which...
Stephen Williams: The hon. Gentleman is making the case well, and I have some sympathy with him. Is it such a bad thing, however, if the Bill encourages more schools, Scout groups or other small community charities to up their fundraising, register for gift aid and engage more people in their communities? Surely that would be a good outcome. In connection with the schools that the hon. Gentleman mentioned, I...
Graeme Morrice: I shall just read the Whip’s note. It is a pleasure to follow my good friend and colleague, my hon. Friend the Member for Easington. I, too, like a wee bevvie, as we say in Scotland. The amendment was tabled as a result of increasing public concern regarding the impact of alcohol duty on the price of beer and the pub industry. The British Beer and Pub Association has highlighted the fact...
John Cummings: With this it will be convenient to discuss new clause 2—Action plans— ‘(1) The Secretary of State shall, within six months of the passing of this Act, consult all principal councils in accordance with this section— (a) on the matters set out in the Schedule to this Act, which specifies matters which affect the sustainability of local communities, and (b) on any other matters which in...