Contributions
2,441 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Fifth sitting)Clause 5 is extremely technical. It concerns the treatment of intermediate leases during a collective enfranchisement. I beg the Committee’s forgiveness for the level of…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Fifth sitting)I intervene just briefly so that I can put this on the record. One of my slight concerns about the amendment from my hon. Friend the Member for Brent North is that it could…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Fifth sitting)I welcome the Minister’s response. He did not address—perhaps he will find time on another occasion—the Government’s potential inconsistency in, on the one hand, extending lease…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Sixth sitting)The Minister made a commendable effort to explain the various Government amendments and schedules in this part of the Bill. Briefly, for purposes of clarity, let me say that we…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Sixth sitting)I rise to make two points. The first is that I will speak in great detail about valuation when we come to schedule 2, as I have indicated, because the meat of the Opposition’s…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Sixth sitting)In some ways, I am doing the Government’s job, but I would just probe the hon. Gentleman on the Government’s intention, specifically in relation to value. At least on the basis of…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Sixth sitting)The hon. Member tempts me to engage in the philosophical debate that the Minister alluded to, and I think it is debatable whether they are real. Let me put it to him like this. If…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Sixth sitting)With apologies for interrupting the Minister when he is providing a commendable explanation of this group of Government amendments, does he agree that although the Bill touches on…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Sixth sitting)I beg to move amendment 2, in schedule 2, page 98, line 25, at end insert— “(7A) In setting the deferment rate the Secretary of State must have regard to the desirability of…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Sixth sitting)We have already discussed valuation in some detail, and it is right that we do so. The concerns raised by the hon. Member for North East Bedfordshire are genuine, and it is…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Sixth sitting)I thank the hon. Lady for her intervention. To be very clear, we agree with the Government’s proposal that the Secretary of State set the rate. The alternative would be, as Mr…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Sixth sitting)I welcome that response from the Minister, in particular about the review period. If I have understood him correctly, he is saying that there must be a review every 10 years at a…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Sixth sitting)I am afraid the Minister is right in that he has failed to convince me. I fear he may misunderstand the point I am trying to make. It is not that we take issue with the Secretary…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Sixth sitting)I thank the Minister for that response. Before turning to amendments 4 and 5, I have a brief note about the amendment tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Brent North. It is a…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Sixth sitting)I thank the Minister for his explanation of the Government amendments and for his initial response to my amendments and the amendment tabled by my hon. Friend the Member for Brent…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Sixth sitting)I will have to come back to my hon. Friend on that point, but my understanding is that, by deleting the relevant proposed new sections, amendments 4 and 5 would ensure that in all…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Sixth sitting)I welcome those reassurances from the Minister. Amendment 35 agreed to. Amendments made: 36, in clause 14, page 27, line 27, leave out subsections (3) and (4) and insert— “(3) An…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Sixth sitting)For the purposes of anyone following our proceedings, there are several issues that we wish to raise in relation to clause 21 and schedule 7, but we will do so when we come…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Fifth sitting)I will spend some time on the clauses, because they are important. As the Minister set out, clause 7 changes the lease extension rights given to tenants of houses and tenants of…23 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Third sitting)If you do not have anything to add Professor Stephen, I will move on to my third question. Professor Steven: Please move on.18 Jan 2024