Pride in Place

Debate between Sureena Brackenridge and Miatta Fahnbulleh

Wednesday 15th October 2025 Commons Chamber

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

I thank my hon. Friend for setting out the huge amounts of work and progress in her community. That is a great example of exactly how this can work really well. There is a huge opportunity with the impact fund to build on that; where neighbourhood boards and governance structures are already established and where people like my hon. Friend have done huge amounts of engagement with the community, we should absolutely be thinking about leveraging in more investment.

[Mrs Sureena Brackenridge (Wolverhampton North East) (Lab)]

In June, I led a Westminster Hall debate calling for better investment in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, so I am delighted that my call was heard. I welcome the £20 million for Low Hill and an additional £1.5 million of pride in place impact funding. Does the Minister agree that the people who live in my communities, who know their strengths, their struggles and their solutions, must be at the heart of deciding what this money is spent on—not investment done to them, but investment by them and with them?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

I thank my hon. Friend for the huge amounts of work she has done to champion this agenda and to come up with ideas to tackle deprivation. She is completely right: it is about communities in charge, driving change. It is not about change done to them, but about change with them in the driving seat.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Sureena Brackenridge and Miatta Fahnbulleh

Tuesday 10th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Miatta Fahnbulleh)]

Happy birthday, Mr Speaker. We are extending the warm home discount to more than 6 million households, doubling the number of families that will get support this winter. That is the difference that a Labour Government make. We are providing support for those who need it while we sprint to clean power by 2030, so that we can get off the energy rollercoaster and bear down on bills for good.

[Mrs Brackenridge]

A very happy birthday to you, Mr Speaker. I welcome the extension of the warm home discount to all households on means-tested benefits from this winter. Many low-income households were excluded because their homes were not classed as having a high cost to heat. In Wolverhampton North East, only 18% of households benefited from the discount in 2023-24. Can the Minister confirm that the new scheme is simple, fair and focused on those who are most in need?

[Miatta Fahnbulleh]

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that really important point. I can confirm that we will remove the hard-to-heat criterion, which means that support will go to low-income households that we know need help with their energy bills.