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Written Question
Regional Planning and Development: Cambridgeshire
Tuesday 8th October 2024

Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Pursuant to the answer of 5 September 2024, to Question 2635, on Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Public Expenditure, what changes she plans to make to the Cambridge Growth programme; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of changes in funding of that programme on (a) housebuilding and (b) development in Cambridgeshire.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I made clear the Government’s intention to realise the full potential of Greater Cambridge in a letter to local leaders published on 23 August and I visited the city to discuss matters with them, as well as meet other stakeholders, on 12 September.

Working collaboratively with local partners, we are determined to support ambitious and high-quality sustainable growth in Greater Cambridge and to help overcome the significant barriers that have held up planned development for essential housing and laboratory space.

We will set out further detail about our approach in due course.

Written Question
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Public Expenditure
Thursday 5th September 2024

Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to page 9 of HM Treasury's document entitled Fixing the foundations: Public spending audit 2024-25, published on 29 July 2024, if she will list the (a) name and (b) value of the other small projects that her Department is cancelling.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

In response to HMT’s savings commission, MHCLG has agreed £154 million from the department’s budgets. This comprises of several savings options on non-essential spending including:

  • Cancelling the Investment Opportunity Fund, which had not started, saving £122 million;
  • Cancelling the Antisocial behaviour (ASB) pilot programme, which had not started, saving a lifetime cost of £20 million. This Government believes there are more meaningful and better value-for-money interventions that would genuinely reduce incidents of ASB;
  • Reducing funding for legal fees we no longer expect to arise from the previous Government’s approach to extremism by £5 million; and,
  • Savings from the Cambridge Growth programme totalling £7 million, including reduced spend on consultancy activity.
Written Question
Local Government: Devolution
Friday 26th July 2024

Asked by: Charlie Dewhirst (Conservative - Bridlington and The Wolds)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of implementing a Hull and East Yorkshire devolution deal.

Answered by Jim McMahon

We want to see devolution extended to every corner of England, and have invited local areas without a devolution agreement to come forward with proposals on a sensible geography.

We recognise that in some parts of the country, such as Hull and East Yorkshire, local authorities had already worked with the previous government to develop devolution deals, which were put on hold over the general election.

We will work with local leaders, members of parliament and stakeholders, including those in Hull and East Yorkshire over the coming months, to ensure that our ambition for deeper and impactful devolution is expanded across the country.