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The hon. Lady is in a knowledge-free zone. She has failed to acknowledge the tremendous help that the Government have given to businesses. The help includes the small business rate relief—nearly 400,000 businesses have taken advantage of the 50 per cent. relief, which was opposed by the Opposition—the deferral of 60 per cent. of the retail prices index increase, the deferral of 60 per cent. of the transitional element, and the deferral of tax and VAT for more than 100,000 businesses. That is what real help is, and I am afraid that the hon. Lady is not even on the playing field.
Answered by
Hazel Blears (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
2 June 2009
Reference
493 c145-6
House
House of Commons
Yes, I can confirm to the hon. Gentleman that he is correct on both counts.
Answered by
Hazel Blears (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
2 June 2009
Reference
493 c145
House
House of Commons
No formal consideration is made of the effect of the transitional relief scheme in each financial year, but the Government are aware of the impact that large increases in business rate bills can have on all businesses when the transitional rate relief comes to an end. That is why we are allowing businesses to defer, over two years, 60 per cent. of the increase in their business rates bill for 2009-10 caused by the ending of transitional relief. That is in addition to allowing the deferral of 60 per cent. of the increase caused by the annual inflation adjustment.
Answered by
Hazel Blears (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
2 June 2009
Reference
493 c145
House
House of Commons
My Department continues to work to devolve power to councils, communities and citizens; to build strong, cohesive communities; to build new homes where people want to live and bring up their families; and to prevent violent extremism.
Answered by
Hazel Blears (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
2 June 2009
Reference
493 c159
House
House of Commons
I have had the pleasure of visiting Stourbridge with my hon. Friend. She, too, is a champion for her area. We hope to ensure that the £3 million town centres fund is up and running very shortly, and to get the money out so that we can provide support, particularly for local authorities to cover the temporary costs of using those empty premises for something worth while, whether for arts activities or cultural activities, as a drop-in centre for the police service, or for a rehearsal space for young people in bands—a range of activities which, just as in Thornaby, can help to draw people to the town centre. If we get people in, shopping and spending their money, that will help the businesses enormously in my hon. Friend's area. I will ensure that she gets the details as a matter of priority for her community.
Answered by
Hazel Blears (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
2 June 2009
Reference
493 c163
House
House of Commons
My hon. Friend, as ever, is a champion for her community. She will know that I have visited Thornaby probably half a dozen times over the past 10 or 12 years, and I have seen the dramatic transformation that there has been in that community, which has suffered from a range of deprivation. The shopping centre that has been developed is a marvellous, light, airy, attractive place that will bring people to businesses in that community. The hairdressers in my hon. Friend's shopping centre did an excellent job, and I was delighted to be able to pay a visit there on my most recent visit.
Answered by
Hazel Blears (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
2 June 2009
Reference
493 c162-3
House
House of Commons
I entirely share my hon. Friend's concern about the activities of extremist groups. I am aware of a number of groups that have used council premises in places including Ealing and Tower Hamlets. Some of the councils concerned have very courageously taken steps to ensure that those groups are banned from their premises on the grounds that their activities seek to divide communities. I can also confirm to my hon. Friend that my Department is in contact with those local authorities to support them in making the right decisions to bring our communities together, and not to divide them with the views of extremists.
Answered by
Hazel Blears (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
2 June 2009
Reference
493 c159-60
House
House of Commons
As I remember, the last time the hon. Gentleman raised the issue he had a particular fanciable pigeon in mind; I have forgotten its name. I can say to him that I did personally take up the issue and find out why pigeon racing was not defined as a sport. Apparently it is because the owners do not take part in any physical activity. [Laughter.] If they ran behind the pigeons, it could be a sport. In terms of empowering the pigeon fanciers, perhaps I can suggest to him that they might like to draw up a petition, so that we can see whether we can take action on the issue.
Answered by
Hazel Blears (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
2 June 2009
Reference
493 c160
House
House of Commons
What assessment she has made of the effects of the transitional arrangements for the national non-domestic rate on small businesses in (a) London and (b) Northamptonshire in 2009-10.
Asked by
Philip Hollobone (Conservative)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Oral questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Date
2 June 2009
Reference
493 c145; 277598
House
House of Commons
Asked by
Richard Ottaway (Conservative)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Topical questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Notes
Lead question not printed.
Date
2 June 2009
Reference
493 c160; 277628
House
House of Commons
Asked by
Lynda Waltho (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Topical questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Notes
Lead question not printed.
Date
2 June 2009
Reference
493 c163; 277630
House
House of Commons
Asked by
Dari Taylor (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Topical questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Notes
Lead question not printed.
Date
2 June 2009
Reference
493 c162-3; 277629
House
House of Commons
If she will make a statement on her departmental responsibilities.
Asked by
Louise Ellman (Labour; Co-operative Party)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Topical questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Date
2 June 2009
Reference
493 c159; 277624
House
House of Commons
The hon. Gentleman is wrong to say that there is no system for checking the allocation of those funds to community groups. There is a system, for local authorities, the police and a range of other organisations, to ensure that the funds are allocated to groups that uphold our shared values and are committed to standing up to tackle extremism. I have told the hon. Gentleman that this is not a ring-fenced grant, for the very reason that we want the work to be embedded as mainstream work for local authorities, and to draw in funding from other sources to ensure that it can be done in a proper, comprehensive fashion. I have also told him that we will place the information in the Library. We have told local authorities that the grant is not ring-fenced, but because of its exceptionally sensitive nature, the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, my hon. Friend the Member for Tooting (Mr. Khan), has written to local authorities saying that we will continue to monitor it extremely carefully. The hon. Gentleman must accept, however, that if we want this work to be embedded as mainstream activity, we must be prepared to make sure we are working in proper, effective partnership with our local authorities.
Answered by
Hazel Blears (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
21 April 2009
Reference
491 c140-1
House
House of Commons
I have made one apology today, Mr. Speaker, and I certainly do not propose to make another in the terms that the hon. Gentleman has requested. I am quite astounded by his question in many ways. I am sure that he will know that under this Government there has been a 39 per cent. real-terms increase in grants to local government, whereas under his party's Government there was a 7 per cent. real-terms cut in the last four years. He knows that in this current period there is almost an extra £9 billion for local authorities across this country to continue to provide support and help to their communities.
Answered by
Hazel Blears (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
21 April 2009
Reference
491 c131
House
House of Commons
What people are really bothered about is what they pay. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman is aware that in relation to band D council tax, Labour increases are 2.8 per cent., Tory increases are 3.3 per cent., and Liberal Democrat increases are 3.2 per cent. Labour certainly does cost people less.
Answered by
Hazel Blears (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
21 April 2009
Reference
491 c132
House
House of Commons
My Department continues to focus on helping people through the recession through practical measures, such as our town centre strategy to try to fill up empty shops, and to build strong, cohesive communities where people want to live, work and bring up their families.
Answered by
Hazel Blears (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
21 April 2009
Reference
491 c144
House
House of Commons
My hon. Friend has an excellent record, through her membership of the all-party small shops group, on making the case for our local town centres. She will know that last week the Secretary for Culture, Media and Sport and I did some joint work to try to find alternative uses for empty shops, such as for rehearsal spaces or arts activities. The Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills is also interested in local, flexible, informal learning centres in our shopping precincts. We are considering standard legal documentation, temporary leases and other practical measures to give businesses real help during this difficult time.
Answered by
Hazel Blears (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
21 April 2009
Reference
491 c145
House
House of Commons
My hon. Friend has recently completed a worthwhile and useful visit to Pakistan, where he was able to see at first hand some of the pressures felt. The hon. Gentleman is right to say that we need to work with our international partners to tackle the severe terrorist threat that this country faces and it is not the case that my hon. Friend was seeking to distance himself from a particular policy. He was rightly drawing to our attention the need to ensure that we are aware of the pressures on a range of communities, both abroad and in this country, and are therefore able to prepare our response accordingly. I can confirm to the hon. Gentleman that my hon. Friend shares absolutely our policies aimed at tackling radicalisation in this country.
Answered by
Hazel Blears (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
21 April 2009
Reference
491 c145
House
House of Commons
I am perfectly content to do that, and happy to arrange such a meeting.
Answered by
Hazel Blears (Labour)
Answering body
Department for Communities and Local Government
Type
Oral answers to questions
Date
21 April 2009
Reference
491 c148
House
House of Commons