Oral Answers to Questions
Mark Pritchard Excerpts(1 month, 3 weeks ago)
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The Prime Minister
Saving 10 million jobs in the pandemic with the furlough scheme.
Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin) (Con)
The Prime Minister will know that there is consensus across this House on the need to build new houses. Where that consensus breaks down is where those houses should be built. Does the Prime Minister agree with me that, wherever possible, new houses should be built on brownfield sites, not on green spaces, not on green fields, and certainly not on prime farmland?
The Prime Minister
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right: sustainable planning must be at the heart of our planning system. That is why we are committed to meeting the needs of communities by building homes in the right places and, as he says, making best use of brownfield land. We have made it clear that that is what the priority should be and we have put extra funding aside to unlock those sites. Our recent changes to the national planning policy framework provide clearer protection for the green belt, making it clear how future housing supply should be assessed. That is the clear difference between our two parties: the Conservatives will protect the green belt and Labour will concrete all over it.
Oral Answers to Questions
Mark Pritchard Excerpts(11 years, 5 months ago)
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Mr Speaker
Order. Far too many noisy private conversations are taking place—mainly on the Opposition Benches at the moment. Let us hear from Mark Pritchard.
Mark Pritchard (The Wrekin) (Con)
6. What recent assessment he has made of the benefits to Scotland of the UK’s membership of NATO; and if he will make a statement.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland (David Mundell)
Scotland is stronger in defence terms as part of the United Kingdom within NATO. NATO is the bedrock of our national security, and the UK is one of its largest contributors. There is no guarantee that an independent Scotland would gain automatic membership.
Mark Pritchard
What discussions has my right hon. Friend held with the Scottish Government on their dialogue with NATO, given that so many within that Government are anti-nuclear and NATO is a pro-nuclear alliance?