Question time briefing: Communities and local government

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ePolitix.com reports on Tuesday's communities and local government questions, in which ministers discuss repossessions and travellers.

The government also came under fire from opposition benches over home repossession, during communities and local government questions today.

Conservative Andrew MacKay (Bracknell) said that over 25,000 homes had been repossessed due to the "incompetence" of the government.

Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps also called on housing minister Margaret Beckett to apologise to those who had lost their homes since the Queen's Speech.

He said that the prime minister's "headline grabber" announcement at the time to help to stop repossessions had not helped "a single family".

He accused Beckett of raising expectations, after the prime minister said the scheme would cover 70 per cent of the mortgage market.

Shapps suggested the scheme cares just 25 per cent would be covered.

Beckett said she was sorry for anyone who lost their home, but stated that homeowner's mortgage support for homeowners was now available.

This would enable people to reduce payments for up to two years, as part of "comprehensive offer of real help for home owners", she said.

Beckett explained that the time taken to implement the scheme was due to necessary legislative and administrative processes.

However she said she was "lost in admiration" at the "sheer gall" of the Conservatives, accusing them of not helping a "single family" during the recessions of the 1980s and 1990s.

Moving away from housing, the system for funding community groups was described as "scandalous" by the Conservatives.

Paul Goodman, shadow minister for communities and local government, said that there was no system in place to check which groups received government money.

He called on the government to publish the details of who received investment "down to very last penny".

Communities and local government secretary Hazel Blears rejected the accusation that there was no system in place.

She said that extensive guidance had been given to local authorities on the criteria for the funding of groups.

Funds were allocated to groups that share "common values" and stand up to violent extremism, she explained.

However Blears acknowledged that the funding was not ring-fenced.

She said: "We want work to be embedded as mainstream work for local authorities to ensure it is done in a comprehensive fashion."

David Davies (Con, Monmouth) repeated calls made last year for assurance that no government money would be given to extremist groups.

Blears said that she had already committed to place the full details of funded projects in the Commons library by the end of April.

Labour MP Rob Marris said there was a growing feeling amongst minority groups that the department was "throwing money at Muslims".

Blears said she was keen to work with all minority groups, and the issue of tackling extremism was not just for the Muslim community.

MPs also pressed ministers to retain Britain's optout of the working-time directive.

"Given importance of opt out, why is it that labour MEPs have been voting against retaining it?" asked Conservative Mark Harper.

This was followed up on by shadow communities minister Stewart Jackson, who accused Labour MEPs of acting against the national interest.

He said that the apparent split in the Labour Party on the issue was weakening the UK's negotiating position.

Communities minister Sadiq Khan accused the Conservatives of "breathtaking hypocrisy".

The minister said that retained fire-fighters represent over 50 per cent of the service in 17 fire and rescue authorities, adding that they do an "invaluable job".

Noting that the next round of talks on the issue was on April 23, Khan insisted:

"The government will not accept any amendment that phases out the op-out, or implies it will be phased out."

On council tax, Blears should apologise for her "persistent habit" of comparing council tax costs across local authorities, said shadow local government minister, Bob Neill.

Neill said that not only had the Commons library dismissed the comparison as "inappropriate" but professor Tony Travers of the London School of Economics had described it as "not respectable".

"Like-for-like band D comparisons show Conservative councils cost less", he concluded.

Blears responded that Conservative and Liberal Democrat council tax rates had increased 3.3 and 3.2 per cent respectively, compared to 2.8 per cent in Labour controlled authorities.

"It is still the case Labour costs you £204 less than Tory councils," Blears said.

"Labour certainly does cost you less."

Retrospective planning applications are being unfairly exploited by gypsies and travellers, according to some MPs.

Conservative David Wilshire said that planning laws favoured the traveller community and were creating "indignation and resentment amongst people who play by the rules".

Responding for the government, communities minister Ian Wright said that there was "one law applied equally to the settled community and gypsies and travellers".

"In general terms retrospective planning applications is a respected part of planning process," Wright argued.

"It is in no ones interest for gypsies and travellers to be set against the settled community."