Speeches by Reed.

“Well, you would need to speak to the Department that gave it its name, rather than to me. I see the problem. I am very in favour of continuing conversation to find a way of making this property tax-based form of revenue raising more progressive, because it clearly is not fair to people living in lower-value properties …”

“I think it is appropriate in this kind of transition, which we have seen fairly frequently over the last decade, that the incoming Prime Minister should have a chance to look at significant reforms of that kind before they complete their journey through. While of course I would have wished for this to all be completed …”

“He has talked about taking more, that’s right, but he has not said specifically what areas yet. That would really be for him to decide and to outline.”

“Well, the Speaker announced in the Chamber yesterday that that would happen before recess, so that is correct, yes.”

“Specifically, areas where we would be initiating new policy or spending commitments. There are a number of areas where the incoming Prime Minister would want to take a view. I have some of them here: announcements on high street funding; the overnight visitor levy, where the consultation has been under way and will be …”

“The Cabinet Secretary, as Minister Pennycook pointed out, has issued guidance that all Departments are to follow during the transition. That is normal—”

“I am not sure that he has announced that he is going to do that. I think we will have to wait and see exactly what he comes forward with.”

“I may have a view. When I was running a council, you could also cut and slice departments in different ways. My experience of doing that and then not doing that is that sometimes structural change can slow things down, and sometimes it helps to bring things together that will drive change faster. The key is to get the …”

“It is for the Prime Minister to decide how they want to structure Departments, and there are many ways that you can cut and slice this Department or other Departments. That is for the incoming Prime Minister.”

“I do not have the detail on that one.”

“Yes, there have been conversations, but they have not yet resulted in legislative change.”

“I am in danger of repeating some of the things I was saying earlier.”

“I have said that, but I have not said what I think should happen instead.”

“The NPPF is only just coming through its consultation. I wish the consultation had been quicker, because if we could have had those reforms available and in operation back in February, for instance, that would have given the sector more time to work with them. It is worth looking at the pace and speed at which consulta…”

“I haven’t got it in my head. Unless Will has it, we will just have to write to you.”

“Sorry, 392,000 homes built since the general election, which was before all the reforms I outlined to planning, regulation and the London stimulus had come through. The London stimulus, of course, is taking cost out of the system. The planning reforms, by speeding up the planning process, are taking cost out of the sys…”

“If you want to know if I have spoken to council leaders, you can just ask if I have spoken to council leaders and I will tell you that I have. The same applies collectively and individually at the LGA. I have regular meetings in the Department, very often focusing on house building as well. I do a lot of visits to hous…”

“That is a consultation; there have been no decisions. It is quite legitimate to consult and seek views on something. The intention of all our reforms is to increase the volume of social and affordable homes across the system. I will give the example of the London stimulus package that I agreed with the Mayor of London.…”

“I agree with you on the importance of this. We all put great store by the role of the Housing Ombudsman in overseeing the different sectors of housing and making sure that there is an appropriate system to seek redress and change when things are going wrong. It is very important. It is important that the Government has…”

“It is an accurate way of describing the funding that is available to a local authority. While, as a former council leader, I would have shared some of the thoughts that you just expressed, it is a fair way to look at the funding that is available to a council. Whatever views people may have about council tax, it is par…”