Draft Mobile Homes (Requirement for Manager of Site to be Fit and Proper Person) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021
(2 years, 11 months ago)
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The Chair
Before we begin, I remind Members to observe social distancing and sit only in places that are clearly marked. I also remind Members that Mr Speaker has stated that masks should be worn in Committee. Hansard colleagues would be most grateful if Members sent their speaking notes to hansardnotes@parliament.uk.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Eddie Hughes)
I beg to move,
That the Committee has considered the draft Mobile Homes (Requirement for Manager of Site to be Fit and Proper Person) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021.
It is a pleasure to serve—incredibly briefly—under your chairmanship, Ms McVey; having given the speech yesterday, I do not intend to repeat it today. I refer Committee members to the speech I gave yesterday, and commend the draft regulations to the Committee.
Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) (Lab)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Ms McVey, I believe for the first time—and certainly for the first time in my new role as shadow planning Minister. I am happy to support the statutory instrument, which corrects the reference to
“the Local Government Act 1992”
within the Mobile Homes (Requirement for Manager of Site to be Fit and Proper Person) (England) Regulations 2020. We have no problem at all, obviously, with that change, but I will leave the Minister with two questions. I hope that he will get back to me in writing in due course.
The arguments in favour of the 2020 regulations, which today’s draft regulations amend, surely also support the strengthening of the rogue landlord database, so will the Government commit to making that a priority as part of the Queen’s Speech commitment to enhance the rights of those who rent? Given the Minister’s responsibilities, I want to mention an additional specific group of people in private managed accommodation for vulnerable people where I have some concerns as well.
Secondly, the provisions of the 2020 regulations have yet to come into force, so I would be grateful if the Minister let us know how his Department is working with local authorities to get ready for 1 July—the first stage of implementation. Are the Government confident that councils have sufficient officer capacity to implement the new, and welcome, regulations, given the cuts that so many councils have had to make to their staff complement?
The Chair
Before the Minister speaks, I should say that I have just received clarification from the Clerk that the speech that he gave yesterday will not be in Hansard. If he wants it recorded, he should read it again.
Eddie Hughes
I do not think that that is necessary, Ms McVey.
I will take the two issues that have been raised in reverse order. On the capacity of councils to deal with the new duty, we have funded them to the tune of £172,000. We have been working very closely with councils across the country where there are park home sites to ensure that they are well prepared, so I do not think that we have any reservations about their ability to deal with it.
As the Minister who will be responsible in part for our ambitious plans for renters’ reform, I look forward to writing to the hon. Member for Brentford and Isleworth with more details and answering her question in due course.
Question put and agreed to.