Speeches by Caliskan.

“I have to be in two places and do both things—I have a meeting with the Minister, so I really am torn—but I would, with the Chair’s permission, like to build on Mr Betts's point around the HRA accounts of local authorities. I take the point that it is a policy decision that is pending for Ministers around spend, and no…”

“It is a niche part of the overall picture, but everyone will appreciate that as well as having to live in a property that is unsafe, there are people who cannot sell their properties or rent them out, their mortgages are at risk, and now they are being hit with insurance that is through the roof. It is really destroyin…”

“Can I add something before you come in, Ben? Of course, the way that insurance companies provide a price is based on risk, and there will be some examples where insurance companies are going beyond that initial risk assessment and are just trying to get as much money as they can. It is also the case that as long as the…”

“I would suggest that that is not being utilised. There are many examples of developers still being granted permission to build even though they are responsible for remediation works that are not being completed. I want to touch on insurance. I think there is some work under way with the BSI, which officials have alread…”

“Can I take the opportunity to say thank you to Giles for his efforts, along with others, on campaigning? I represent the Barking constituency and your description of what leaseholders or residents in all sorts of tenure are having to experience is very accurate, particularly when it comes to remediation work. There is …”

“No, that was a good reminder; I should have declared earlier that I am a vice-president of the Local Government Association, having been a local authority leader for a number of years. I want to discuss the lag in remediation works that are under way in some areas. Although there is a regulatory challenge and there may…”

“I will not go into examples, but people living in unsafe properties are unlikely to not let you into a building. I am yet to come across a resident who says, “My building’s unsafe, and I can’t sleep at night, but I am not taking the day off work to let you in.” In most cases, people allow access.”

“You will understand that the reason I ask the question and probe is that in recent years we have had huge tragedy, with people dying in blocks that were not fit to live in, and—it is well-documented now—we still have people living in high-rise and mid-rise blocks who are at risk in terms of fire safety and tell us, as …”

“I am aware that some of this has already been picked up, but I want to talk a little more about the delays, because MHCLG have set out expectations for progress on remediation works, but the pace, as I think you have already acknowledged, is behind. I understand, from the Report, that no remediation works have started …”

“That is the point, isn’t it? Because there is passing of the buck between freeholders and developers, you can have a situation where residents of high-rise or mid-rise buildings are living in properties that are unsafe at that moment, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel because nobody is taking responsibilit…”

“Is that working, in your view?”

“It has been a pleasure to listen to speeches from Members right across the Chamber, and particularly to hear—as others have said—insights rooted in the particular musical and literary talents of Members. Sadly, I have zero contribution to make in terms of talent; I can inform Members that I have regularly enjoyed the o…”

“Certainly in the early days there was a concern that there was a monopoly from providers, but it sounds as though that has moved on.”

“That was going to be my second question. What sort of support are you providing to local authorities? When we look at a map of where electric vehicles have been delivered, I do not think it is a coincidence that a lot of them are in the south of the country, particularly in London, where there is sometimes a pan-London…”

“Sometimes it is not about the allocation of money: it is about local authorities’ ability to navigate what are often complicated procurement processes.”

“Thank you. May I also ask you about projected timelines for any planning policy legislative changes? The infrastructure costs of the projects are often quite considerable, and there have been recommendations previously that legislative changes might help. Do you have any thoughts on that?”

“I think some of my colleagues might pick that up. Finally, in terms of the market and providers, is it a competitive market? If we were to look at the £240 million that has been spent, is that reflected in the spend? By that, I mean: has it just gone to two providers, or does it reflect a competitive market, if it is i…”

“It is very competitive, so if we look at the spend of public money, is it reflected across a competitive market and not concentrated in the hands of one or two providers? You may not know the answer.”

“Thank you for joining us. My first question is about local authorities. I understand that, as of October 2024, about £240 million had been spent to support the delivery of electric vehicle points, and local authorities are at the forefront of seeing those be delivered in communities. My question is about procurement an…”

“I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Wrexham (Andrew Ranger) for introducing the Bill—a small change, but one that will make a big difference to our communities. There are a few principal reasons why I support it. First, as others have said, it allows us to bring communities together at moments of national importance,…”