Local Government Finance (Kingston upon Thames)

As the Member of Parliament whose constituency covers north Kingston, I support all the comments made by my hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr. Davey) and reinforce the view that this is very much a south-west London problem, which has largely been ignored by Conservative as well as Labour Governments. I draw the Minister’s attention to a pattern that is developing throughout our area, which is recognised by none of the formulae nor by the actions of her Department. I refer to the pattern of growing pockets of deprivation throughout the areas of south-west London. Affordable housing is now part of every new housing development of any size, and that is exactly as it should be, but it means that youngsters who are as deprived as any anywhere in the country are not able to receive the services that are available to them in a wide area of deprivation. Older people whose needs are just as desperate as those in, say, Tower Hamlets or Lambeth are unable to get the kinds of services and support that are inherently part of what is offered to people in those areas. We want to ensure that people who are deprived and in need can live in all parts of our community and are not forced by the distribution of services into narrow areas and ghettos. Will the Minister please take that on board, review her formulae and understand that pockets of deprivation are an increasing and severe problem for many people?