Oral Answers to Questions Debate

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Oral Answers to Questions

Greg Mulholland Excerpts
Monday 20th June 2011

(12 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
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Lord Pickles Portrait Mr Pickles
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We have been most careful to ensure that priority has been given to the most vulnerable. That is why we made sure that £6.5 billion went into the Supporting People programme, and £400 million into homeless programmes. We expect that to be reflected by local authorities prioritising the most vulnerable.

Greg Mulholland Portrait Greg Mulholland (Leeds North West) (LD)
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It is a national scandal that wanted and profitable pubs are being closed against the wishes of the communities they serve and simply to serve the interests of greedy developers and pub companies. I was delighted to welcome the Minister with responsibility for community pubs to the launch of the all-party save the pub group’s new planning charter. Will he welcome that charter and work with the group to ensure that the Government do all they can to protect pubs?

Robert Neill Portrait The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Robert Neill)
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I am delighted to work with the hon. Gentleman and to discuss his charter—I should be delighted to join him in a pub, if need be. The Government are determined, through our planning reforms and the Localism Bill, to give communities an opportunity to acquire those assets that genuinely can be viable.