Speeches by Reed.

“There is a whole swathe of things that I think are really important. As the Chair said, MHCLG has the biggest legislative programme of any Department, and it has a very broad remit. I feel that we have made progress in the 10 months that I have been in the role in a lot of those areas. The Government’s priority has bee…”

“We do need to look at how we both deepen devolution in the areas that have it and extend it to areas that do not have it.”

“Because there is a limited pot of funding—£5.8 billion is significant, but it reaches only about 3% of wards in the country, and we need an offer for the other 97%. Not every area will be able to get that level of funding. As we discussed previously, we are developing a place agenda to focus on effective place-based de…”

“I do think that we need a rolling programme of devolution that will eventually cover everywhere. That is right.”

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

“Some of that is a question for Departments other than mine, but I think that I have made my position very clear.”

“Because you invited me, didn’t you?”

“There is also the BSR run rate: last summer, it was 11 months for new applications; today, it is about 13 weeks. That is dramatically better and it has taken a lot of cost, delay and uncertainty out of the system for developers. We are also exploring—we are in the early stages; I have been taking advice from the Depart…”

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“I associate myself with Mr Speaker’s comments about Lord Hattersley. I gently remind the hon. Member for Winchester (Dr Chambers) that the Liberal Democrats had many years in government with the Conservatives in which they chose austerity. That speeded up the decline of our high streets, but this Government are committ…”

“Speaking as a former publisher, I am very committed to the success of bookshops, and I congratulate the bookshop in the hon. Gentleman’s constituency on its many years of service to the public. This Government are bringing in long-overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system, which should support independent b…”

“I congratulate my hon. Friend on her very well-deserved recognition. She raises an extremely important issue, which I am sure is of concern to Members right across the House. That is why it will be welcomed on all sides of the House that the Home Office has announced a high street organised crime unit to tackle organis…”

“I congratulate the right hon. Gentleman on the work he has done in his constituency on this issue, as well as those residents who have been advocating for the banking hub. Many businesses—particularly smaller businesses—and many older people who prefer not to access banking services digitally need a physical bank where…”

“I am always happy to meet my hon. Friend, and indeed we do meet regularly. I am happy to continue doing that. We want to see high streets everywhere succeed. Pride in Place is a highly targeted programme, but we need to make an offer for high streets everywhere. I am sure he will welcome, as I do, the high street renta…”

“The shadow Minister will be aware, as I am, that high streets went into steep decline under the previous Conservative Government. It is this Labour Government who are having to support those businesses and communities that want to fix them. We are carrying out long-overdue reform to rebalance the business rates system,…”

“The Government expect all developers to build high-quality homes, delivered in line with their planning consent, and to treat customers fairly. The Government are actively considering mandatory standards of warranties for all new build homes, and we are committed to introducing a statutory new homes ombudsman to improv…”

“I am sure many Members across the House recognise the situation the hon. Member describes. One of the reasons building control in local authorities became so weak is that so many of them were underfunded for so long. Following the fair funding review, councils have funding in line with levels of deprivation, so local a…”

“My hon. Friend raises incredibly important issues, and it is incredibly difficult for people buying their first home to find themselves in those circumstances. She will have heard my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing refer to changes in leasehold, including a consultation due to end within weeks, which for the first…”

“I am very disappointed to hear the Liberal Democrat spokesperson arguing the case for nimbys, because in other circumstances I have heard Liberal Democrats recognise that we have a housing crisis, recognise that the number of families in temporary accommodation doubled under the previous Government, and recognise that …”

“Just to be clear, I was not calling people who care about the green belt nimbys; I was calling the hon. Gentleman and his colleagues on the Liberal Democrat Benches nimbys. We have retained protections for the green belt, but we need to get new homes built. I am sorry if the Liberal Democrats want to deprive young peop…”