Contributions
2,441 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDSocial HousingThe Government are committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable house building in a generation. In our first eight months in office, we have announced…03 Mar 2025HANSARDLeasehold CostsThe Government have no plans to cap service charges for tenants and leaseholders, given that would prevent necessary funds from being raised for legitimate purposes, but we do…03 Mar 2025HANSARDCommonholdFor far too many leaseholders, the reality of home ownership has fallen woefully short of the dream—their lives marked by an intermittent, if not constant, struggle with punitive…03 Mar 2025HANSARDHousing Targets: New Towns TaskforceNot least because we will only begin construction of the next generation of new towns towards the end of this Parliament, the Government have been clear that they will deliver…03 Mar 2025HANSARDHousing Targets: New Towns TaskforceThe independent expert taskforce, chaired by Sir Michael Lyons, will be submitting its final report to us in the summer and, as such, we have absolutely no idea which locations it…03 Mar 2025HANSARDLeasehold CostsThe Government recognise the considerable financial strain that opaque and unfair fees and charges are placing on leaseholders across the country. As my hon. Friend will know, on…03 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsI agree with my hon. Friend. Last year, as the housing emergency took hold, the SNP Government cut £200 million from the affordable housing budget. It was only as a result of…03 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsTo add to the responses I gave earlier, we intend to take action to provide leaseholders with the transparency of standardised service charge invoices, so that they can better…03 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsWe want to see far greater use of rural exception sites in particular, and I am more than happy to sit down with the hon. Gentleman—I think we have already planned to do so—to…03 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsThe publication of the “Commonhold White Paper” today marks the beginning of the end of the feudal leasehold system. We will succeed where the previous Government failed and bring…03 Mar 2025HANSARDNew Housing: Protected LandscapesLocal authorities use the standard method to assess housing needs, but they can show evidence of any hard constraints in their areas, including protected landscapes. Those will be…03 Mar 2025HANSARDSocial HousingI would say to the hon. Gentleman that they already are. There are very strict requirements in place when it comes to the allocation of social housing. As I am sure he knows well,…03 Mar 2025HANSARDSocial HousingI note the question the hon. Member asks. We are grateful to all the civil servants who serve the Government for acting with integrity. The civil service code is clear that civil…03 Mar 2025HANSARDSocial HousingWe know that registered providers are facing real challenges when it comes to their capacity, or headroom, to take on additional section 106 units. The hon. Lady may be aware that…03 Mar 2025HANSARDSocial HousingI understand the point the hon. Lady is making. I refer her to my previous answer. The Government intend to bring forward, through changes to building regulations, future…03 Mar 2025HANSARDSocial HousingThe previous Government, to their credit, introduced changes to the building regulations that came into force in June 2022, and under those standards, new homes are being built…03 Mar 2025HANSARDSocial HousingI understand well the pressures in Wales that my hon. Friend describes so eloquently. We know that increasing the supply of social homes is a cornerstone of the Welsh Government’s…03 Mar 2025HANSARDNew Housing: Protected LandscapesThe Government are committed to maintaining strong protections for our protected landscapes. We are clear that the scale and extent of development within such designated areas…03 Mar 2025HANSARDTopical QuestionsI well recognise the situation that my hon. Friend describes, but I also recognise the reluctance of local authorities to take on substandard housing estates that have been built.…03 Mar 2025HANSARDSocial HousingI am aware of several schemes in my hon. Friend’s constituency that are having viability issues. Financial support is indeed available. While the £500 million of new in-year…03 Mar 2025