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1.18 pm
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Mr. Alan Meale): First, I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington (Mr. McDonnell) on securing this debate on what we in the Government feel is a very important subject. He has drawn attention to just one part of the work that interests us in undertaking the various tasks that we have set ourselves in terms of economic generation.
I pay tribute to my hon. Friend. It is typical of him that, yet again, he is busily at work representing his constituents in a macro-economic approach. His history in the movement in that direction, in everything from being a member of the Greater London council, being a leading figure in local government, particularly in London, and to working in trade unions, has shown him to be someone who is a good soldier in fighting for those whom he represents.
The work carried out by my hon. Friend and the local community in preparing the Hayes and Harlington prospectus makes a valuable contribution. Many new
Members should follow his example and try to produce similar reports outlining the economic needs of their areas.
It is right that, from time to time, we should focus on the suburbs. Too often, they are taken for granted. The media often focus on the needs of rural areas, and rightly so, as many topics affecting them need to be discussed. Equally, the issues affecting inner-city areas are often examined, but little attention is paid to the suburbs. Perhaps that is because they are seen, by and large, as pretty ordinary places.
As my hon. Friend commented, the debate on suburban regeneration has been a long time coming. The suburbs are, of course, home to the majority of Britain's urban population. Those who live in the suburbs know that issues affecting the future of their neighbourhoods are well worth considering. I congratulate the Civic Trust and the Rowntree Trust on identifying the need for research on the topic, and on giving us a fine report to stimulate debate, such as our debate today.
It is odd that the word "suburban" is sometimes used in a derogatory manner, especially by people seeking funds for such areas. To many people, the word--wrongly, in my opinion--conjures up an image of rows of semi-detached houses occupied by families keeping themselves to themselves, with a neat lawn and a car in the drive, although such people commute daily to work. The image is respectable, domestic and perhaps rather boring, compared with the vitality of many city centres, or the natural beauty of our rural areas.
The reality is often quite different, as my hon. Friend knows. The suburb is perhaps a peculiarly British development. Few continental cities have suburbs, whereas many of our towns and cities have developed highly successful suburbs over the years. At one time, areas such as Chelsea and Brixton were suburbs of London, but much has changed since then. With the movement of the population to the cities and the growth of public transport, new suburbs were created. The Civic Trust report describes the various categories.
Some suburbs were viable and remain so. Bedford Park in west London, for example, is still an architectural gem. In other cities, there were planned suburbs, such as Bourneville in Birmingham. Those "leafy" suburbs offered the growing urban classes a better quality of life than was available in the inner cities. The original objective of the Barbican centre was to create a new inner-London suburb. The suburbs met the urban population's need for accommodation in a broadly sustainable way.
More recently, there have been some less successful examples. As cities expanded outwards into urban sprawl, we created low-density homogenous suburbs which lacked the distinctiveness and character of earlier suburbs. The newer suburbs tend to be dependent on the car, which makes them less sustainable in terms of transport, social mix and the amount of land that they use.
The report by the Civic Trust and Ove Arup and Partners focuses on different types of suburb and includes some useful case studies based on particular cities. The authors give a timely warning that there is evidence that some suburbs are becoming less stable and sustainable with respect to their local economies, social structures and environment, as my hon. Friend pointed out.
The report draws attention to deteriorating community facilities such as community centres and green spaces, declining shopping centres and parades, public transport that is not adapting to changing needs, and large areas of ageing houses of a single type. Such problems may not be as stark as those in the more deprived inner cities, where there are multiple causes of deprivation and social exclusion, but the authors argue that a stitch in time may prevent the problems from becoming more serious and leading to rapid decline.
The authors of the report make various recommendations directed at government, local authorities and other agencies. They highlight the need to encourage and assist suburbs to adapt to the future. They rule out large-scale restructuring of suburban areas, and suggest that smaller-scale changes over time could improve the quality of suburban life and foster community involvement and civic pride, while contributing to a sustainable urban renaissance.
I am pleased that the report places a high premium on community involvement, as it is recognised in all parts of the House that change that does not have the support of the community will not be sustainable.
The report is timely. As the House knows, the Government will issue White Papers on urban and rural policies later this year. The urban policy White Paper will look at towns and cities, including suburbs, and will suggest how we can help them to become vibrant and prosperous, offering a good quality of life to those who live and work in them.
As my hon. Friend mentioned, Lord Rogers is leading a task force established by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister to examine the future of urban areas. It was born out of the need to make sure that we make the best use of previously developed land in meeting the demand for new housing, so that the pressure on green-field sites will be reduced. However, Lord Rogers and his team will consider all the factors affecting the development of urban areas, and will report in the summer.
The social exclusion unit is studying related issues, including neighbourhood management. Some aspects of the Rowntree report will be relevant. Today's debate will become part of the consultation exercise. The unit will produce a strategy for neighbourhood management next year.
My hon. Friend spoke about the economic problems faced by suburban areas. The key to resolving them must be to create national conditions that provide a climate for our towns and cities to prosper. We must promote national economic performance and sustainability, and maintain a stable macro-economic climate with support for enterprise, skills and work initiatives, which will be essential to improve the quality of life in all parts of the country.
That agenda will be driven forward by the recent Budget announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and the work that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has put in train following his competitiveness White Paper. The Government's aim is to provide employment opportunities for all. We are encouraging economic growth, and we are committed to ensuring that everyone has the chance to share in the benefits. My hon. Friend pointed out that, after the election, the Government
wasted no time in introducing the new deal initiative to get people back into work. So far, more than 350,000 people have participated, and 70,000 have found jobs. That is real progress.
I know that we are running out of time, Mr. Deputy Speaker. I assure my hon. Friend that I will accept his invitation to visit his constituency shortly.
Mr. Colin Breed (South-East Cornwall):
I am delighted to have secured the debate, in which I shall raise the issue of regulating water charges. The debate is timely for many of my constituents whose bills, which are already the highest in the country, have risen by an additional 10 per cent. They have written to me expressing their anger and, in some cases, their worry.
It is 10 years since the previous Government privatised the water utilities. There have been undreamed of riches for very few and benefits for many, but some--particularly those water charge payers in the south-west--have had to pay thousands of pounds more than owners of comparable homes in other parts of the country, which is demonstrably unfair.
The House of Commons Library has produced figures showing that the average annual household bill has increased by well over 100 per cent. since the industry was privatised in 1989, but water bills in the south-west have risen by 142 per cent., which is 76 per cent. in real terms. The average annual water and sewerage bill for customers in the south-west is £354, which is well above the national average of £242.
1.30 pm
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