Contributions
979 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)I should put it on record—just in case, although it was many years ago—that I used to be an estate agent. I should probably make that clear.30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)I am grateful to the hon. Member for Brent North for moving the new clause. The Government support the aim of the amendment to improve leaseholders’ rights. As he indicates, we…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)There is no doubt that there are challenges. There are always challenges with individual buildings, but there is a specific challenge here, which the hon. Gentleman has outlined.…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)I will, happily.30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)I will not detain the Committee particularly long on this provision. I regret that we will not be able to accept new clause 25, for two reasons. First, I accept that people come…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)I am being tempted again to comment on the Supreme Court and the veracity of its decisions, but I will stick to the new clause. As the hon. Gentleman indicated, it seeks to amend…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)I am grateful to the hon. Member for Brent North for tabling new clause 38. I understand that he seeks to reduce landlords’ ability to frustrate right to manage claims. We all…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for outlining that in such detail. I will be brief and to the point. We are reviewing this, and I think that an important point has been…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)Let me ask the hon. Gentleman whether he is willing to allow me to go away and look at this issue without any promises or guarantees. I am not across the level of detail that he…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)I am grateful to my hon. Friend the Member for North East Bedfordshire for moving new clause 35. I share his concern that purchasers should know about estate management charges;…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)This is an interesting new clause that bears a few moments’ consideration, and I am grateful to my hon. Friend for tabling it. Obviously, the first challenge is the matter of…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)The principle of a right to participate is sound, and I think we all agree on that across both sides of the Committee. However, as with many of the new clauses, there are…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)The Government recognise that the Law Commission did not think that there was a justification for keeping the exclusion in its current form and recommended its removal, as the…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)After a number of days of often great agreement across the Committee, it is my job, unfortunately, to point out where we cannot agree, so I apologise for doing that again. The…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)I thank the hon. Member for Brent North for moving the new clause. I heard the right hon. Member for East Ham make his case clearly on Second Reading, and I asked officials at the…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)Homeowners who pay estate management charges for the upkeep and management of their estate must be able to hold their estate management company to account. The Government are…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)Further to that point of order, Sir Edward, I wish to put on record my thanks. I echo the thanks of the hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich to everybody who has been involved…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)I beg to move amendment 28, in title, line 5, leave out “charges and costs payable by residential” and insert “the relationship between residential landlords and”. This amendment…30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)I want to double-check the valid points made by my hon. Friend. I will commit to writing to him on that specific point to make sure that we are covering in the way that he expects.30 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Tenth sitting)Landlords and managing agents hold significant sums of leaseholder money, and it is right that they should be held to account for ensuring that such money must be managed…30 Jan 2024