Contributions
1,831 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDHousebuilding: Accidents in the HomeWe welcome the work of RoSPA and take note of its design standard, Safer by Design : A Framework to Reduce Serious Accidental Injury in New-Build Homes , which I have here and…05 Nov 2019HANSARDHousebuilding: Accidents in the HomeThe noble Baroness is right. That is why we are reviewing all the schedules, particularly in her case Part M of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations 2010 , which sets…05 Nov 2019HANSARDHousebuilding: Accidents in the HomeWe are looking closely at category 2, to see whether we can raise the minimum standards from category 1 to category 2. Also, the national planning policy, which we have updated,…05 Nov 2019HANSARDHousebuilding: Accidents in the HomeMy wife would say that I am no electrician. However—and perhaps I can see whether the noble Lord, Lord Jordan, is nodding or shaking his head—my understanding is that in bathrooms…05 Nov 2019HANSARDHousebuilding: Accidents in the HomeMy Lords, the Government are committed to ensuring that all homes are safe and that people feel safe in their homes. We have banned combustible cladding on tall residential…05 Nov 2019HANSARDGrenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 ReportMy Lords, I am grateful to my predecessor in my role, my noble friend Lord Bourne, for initiating this debate on the Grenfell Tower inquiry phase 1 report. I, and the whole House,…31 Oct 2019HANSARDGrenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 ReportYes, I can reassure the noble Baroness on that front and reiterate the point I made earlier about greater joined-up thinking across different agencies and bodies. Learning from…31 Oct 2019HANSARDGrenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 ReportThere is a lot of detail in what I want to say; I will come on to cladding. I also point out to the noble Lord that much of what we are doing must be regarded as part of a…31 Oct 2019HANSARDGrenfell Tower Inquiry: Phase 1 ReportI take note of the noble Lord’s point and will feed that back. I realise that my time is running out, but on this very important subject I want to spend a couple of minutes on…31 Oct 2019HANSARDHousing: Rental MarketAs I said earlier, we think it is right that local authorities remain responsible for this area. Westminster City Council has investigated or is in the process of investigating…28 Oct 2019HANSARDHousing: Rental MarketI said in my initial Answer that the increase in Airbnb lettings is not having an effect on houses to rent. But on the noble Lord’s point about prices paid by rental tenants in…28 Oct 2019HANSARDHousing: Rental MarketMy Lords, the Government have no current proposals to regulate short-term platforms. We welcome the efforts of the Short Term Accommodation Association to improve standards. With…28 Oct 2019HANSARDHousing: Rental MarketOn the subject of possible registration, we welcome Airbnb’s plans to hold a national discussion on this matter and we are engaging with it and other similar stakeholders on their…28 Oct 2019HANSARDHousing: Rental MarketNo, I am not saying that there is no problem. We take the view that we welcome the voluntary approach. We are encouraging the Short Term Accommodation Association to drive up…28 Oct 2019HANSARDHousing: Rental MarketThe 90-day change-of-rule applies to London alone. York is a wonderful place to go, and it is a good thing that Airbnb operates there because short-term lets allow households to…28 Oct 2019HANSARDHousing: Rental MarketWe welcome the report by the working group on regulation of property agents chaired by the noble Lord. It was published in July this year and extends to some 24,000 words, with 53…28 Oct 2019HANSARDHousing: Rental MarketI can only quote the figures that I have given noble Lords, which show that there is an increase but it is not having an impact on private rented property. As I said, we want to…28 Oct 2019HANSARDNeighbourhood Services: Government SupportI was coming on to address some of the other points on the subject of housing. I will come to the noble Lord’s point in a moment. He raised a number of questions and I want to be…24 Oct 2019HANSARDNeighbourhood Services: Government SupportMy Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Greaves, for securing this debate and all noble Lords for their remarks. This is my first debate in my new role, although I have covered the…24 Oct 2019HANSARDHomeless People: Prevention of DeathsIt is important to be clear on the facts. A reduction is still a reduction, but I am also very clear about the challenges we have. There is no question of pulling the wool over…01 Oct 2019