Bridget Phillipson
Main Page: Bridget Phillipson (Labour - Houghton and Sunderland South)(10 years, 3 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Nick Boles
My hon. Friend makes an interesting point and I would be happy to look into the specific case. Perhaps I can generally reassure her that, through the Localism Act 2011, she, I, and the rest of us have improved the enforcement powers of local authorities, and removed the restrictions that the previous Government had placed on the use of temporary stop orders in enforcing against abuse.
Bridget Phillipson (Houghton and Sunderland South) (Lab)
In 2015 Ministers will take on responsibility from the Department for Work and Pensions for hardship funding delivered by local councils. What discussions have taken place with Ministers at the DWP so that the vulnerable are not hit the hardest once again when the change takes effect?
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Stephen Williams)
The Department for Work and Pensions has transferred £175 million for the current year to meet those obligations, and £172 million for next year. The expectation for subsequent years is that local authorities will find those funds from within their own budgets. Of course, with the recovering economy, we hope there will be less demand.