Contributions
2,441 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q Just to probe you further on why, from your point of view, the Cadogan v. Sportelli rates are 4.75% and 5%, is that just for central London or is it your view that it works…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q I agree with you about the underlying point, and we may seek to address that, but if we have to work with this new regulation of estate management regime, are there any ways you…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q Thank you. Halima and Cathy on part 4, please? Halima Ali: Overall, I want to say that the model of maintenance that has been implemented is a scam, and all this Bill is really…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q Halima and Cathy, on part 4 and rent charges—unless you have something to say, Karolina. I am leaving it to you to self-police. Karolina Zoltaniecka: The Bill is very welcome.…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q Thank you all for coming to give evidence. I have two questions—one for Harry and Karolina and then one for Cathy and Halima. Harry and Karolina, we heard earlier from Professor…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q In general terms, do I take from that that we should seek to define excluded insurance costs fairly widely, beyond a strict definition of commission, to ensure that we are…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q To further explore Mr Gardiner’s point about fees, not commissions, what is your understanding of proposed new section 20G of the 1985 Act, which defines these excluded…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q But it would not necessarily require primary legislation—or would it, in your view, in terms of how you would implement such a recommendation? Matt Brewis: It does not require…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q For a very long time. Matt Brewis: For a very long time. Unfortunately, I do not have the power to force anybody to write business that they do not want to. But the ABI has been…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Thank you for coming to give us evidence, Mr Brewis. The FCA published a report in September 2022 on insurance for multi-occupancy buildings. In a general sense, on the basis of…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)May I press you a bit further on valuation? This is a phenomenally complex area to understand, and the standard valuation method in schedule 2 is extremely technical. The Law…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q On what is not there, the Government have chosen to include none of the recommendations on commonhold. We very much think that commonhold should be the default tenure going…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q And on the package as a whole working? Professor Hopkins: On the package as a whole, the Bill implements key recommendations that would be most impactful to leaseholders, in…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q To ensure that I have understood you correctly, do you expect some technical amendments, whether minor or not, to come to clarify the provisions? Professor Hopkins: There will…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q I again put on the record my declaration of interest that my wife is a joint chief executive of the Law Commission, which Professor Hopkins is representing. Professor Hopkins,…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (First sitting)Q I suppose what I am getting at is that you would not need to withhold if the enforcement clause properly covers all the requirements therein. Amanda Gourlay: It seemed to me…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (First sitting)Q I just wanted to follow up on something, so that I am clear in my own mind in relation to Mr Gardiner’s question about the provisions in the 2002 Act that have not been brought…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (First sitting)Q Amanda, thank you for coming to talk to the Committee. You have expertise in a number of areas, but I wanted to probe you on something that we have not gone into the details…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (First sitting)Q Some of them will not have a choice, will they? Katie Kendrick: No, some people do not have a choice. People’s lives are literally on hold, and have been for many years, waiting…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (First sitting)Q A huge amount of the Bill is left to future regulations and statutory instruments. That is understandable in many cases—I am thinking of the service charge provisions and…16 Jan 2024