Levelling-up Fund Round 2

Debate between Tom Randall and Lucy Frazer

Thursday 19th January 2023 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Frazer]

The hon. Member’s constituency has not done badly overall—it has previously been given £4 million through the UK shared prosperity fund and £12 million through the future high streets fund—but I understand the points that he has made and, as I have said, a third round is coming up.

[Tom Randall (Gedling) (Con)]

As a Gedling resident, I am naturally disappointed that the bid submitted by the Labour-run borough council was not successful. According to feedback on its first-round bid, it was disparate and insufficiently compelling, so I look forward to the prompt feedback on round 2. However, given that the council has been unsuccessful in respect of a number of funding pots, will the Minister meet me, as a matter of urgency, to go through the history of its funding bids, chapter and verse, so that we can gain a better understanding of where things are going wrong and better bids are submitted in future?

[Lucy Frazer]

I will be happy to do that.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Tom Randall and Lucy Frazer

Tuesday 1st February 2022 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Frazer]

I am happy to meet the hon. Member to discuss the points he raises. We have taken a number of steps to ensure that people pay the full rate of council tax on second homes—96% of second home owners pay the full rate of council tax. He will know that the Government introduced the higher rate of stamp duty land tax for those purchasing additional properties, and only last year introduced a new SDLT surcharge of 2%, to ensure that houses are available for local people at reasonable prices. I am happy to discuss this further with him.

[Tom Randall (Gedling) (Con)]

11. What assessment he has made of the progress of the kickstart scheme.