Oral Answers to Questions

Peter Aldous Excerpts

Monday 22nd January 2018 Commons Chamber

[Dominic Raab]

The hon. Gentleman is right, and a lot of social housing is of a co-operative nature. It particularly depends on any given community’s specific needs, which are often for the local authorities to help to identify. Local authorities in rural areas need to focus on the particular needs of their communities. For example, some areas have rural exception sites, which provide long-term protection for affordable homes in rural areas.

[Peter Aldous (Waveney) (Con)]

6. What progress his Department has made on supporting the economies of coastal communities.

[Trudy Harrison (Copeland) (Con)]

20. What progress his Department has made on supporting the economies of coastal communities.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Jake Berry)]

Since 2012, we have invested £174 million in 295 coastal communities fund projects throughout the UK. Those projects are forecast to deliver 18,000 jobs, and we have announced that round 5 of the coastal community fund, worth £40 million, will open shortly.

[Peter Aldous]

I am grateful to the Minister for that reply. The Lowestoft coastal communities team has developed an exciting strategy for the regeneration of the town’s historic seafront. Will my hon. Friend visit Lowestoft to see for himself the work that will transform Britain’s most easterly town into the east coast’s destination of choice?

[Jake Berry]

My hon. Friend’s constituency has already received more than £1.5 million from the coastal communities fund, which shows how he is delivering for his constituents through his campaigning. I would be delighted to visit when I am in his area.