Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 19 April 2024 to Question 21211 on Ground Rent, whether his Department plans to make contingencies for the payment of (a) compensation and (b) legal fees that could be required for loss of income as a result of a ground rent cap.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government has engaged extensively with relevant stakeholders, and has published an Impact Assessment on a range of options to restrict ground rents. We will set out our position as part of the progress of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the abolition of multiple dwellings relief within stamp duty land tax on new housing supply in the private rented sector.
Answered by Nigel Huddleston - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
The abolition of Multiple Dwellings Relief follows an external evaluation which found no strong evidence that the relief is meeting its original objectives of supporting investment in residential property in the private rented sector. The evaluation can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stamp-duty-land-tax-relief-for-multiple-dwellings-evaluation.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when reforms to tenancy lengths under the provisions of the Renters (Reform) Bill will come into force for (a) existing tenancies and (b) new tenancies.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
We have committed to provide at least six months’ notice of our first implementation date after which all new tenancies will be periodic and governed by the new rules. To avoid a two-tier rental sector, and to make sure landlords and tenants are clear on their rights, all existing tenancies will transition to a new system on a second implementation date.
This phased implementation will support tenants, landlords and agents to adjust to and understand the new rules, while making sure that tenants can benefit from the new system as soon as reasonably possible. We will provide more details about our implementation plans in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to support effective routes to market for precision medicines for (a) motor neurone disease and (b) other rare diseases in the UK.
Answered by Andrew Stephenson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
Should the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) receive a marketing authorisation application (MAA) or applications, the MHRA will consider the drug with regards to quality, safety, and efficacy. The MHRA has procedures in place to consider drugs as part of an accelerated pathway. This is possible as part of national access collaboration, and international recognition. The MHRA would be able to consider motor neurone disease and other rare disease treatment products, under any of the procedures for the benefit of patients.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he is taking steps to reclassify retail as legitimate employment land use as part of the Accelerated Planning Service Consultation.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Our proposals for the Accelerated Planning Service do not include the reclassification of any land uses. The Accelerated Planning Service on which the Government is currently consulting is for planning applications for major commercial development which create 1,000 sqm or more of new or additional employment space as defined in planning legislation. This could include retail development. The consultation closes on 1 May 2024 and we will analyse responses and announce our decision in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he plans to compensate (a) institutional investors and (b) pension-holders for loss of income as a result of his Department’s proposed cap on ground rents.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Government recently consulted on a range of options to restrict ground rents for existing leases. Alongside the consultation we published a consultation impact assessment, assessing the expected costs and benefits of each of the policy options. This can be found here: Consultation impact assessment - modern leasehold: restricting ground rent for existing leases - GOV.UK.
We are carefully considering the responses we have received and will set out next steps due course.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure that the deadline for the end of e-scooter trials is not extended any further.
Answered by Anthony Browne - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government plans to legislate to regulate micromobility when parliamentary time allows. The trials continue to provide helpful information to inform that process.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what estimate his Department has made of the potential impact of capping ground rents on the public purse.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
Government has consulted on a range of options to restrict ground rent in existing leases and asked questions about the effects of these proposals. We received a significant number of responses from a variety of sources. A consultation impact assessment has been published and can be found at Consultation impact assessment - modern leasehold: restricting ground rent for existing leases.
That consultation closed on 17 January, and Government is currently analysing the responses before taking a decision on how to restrict ground rents through the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions officials in her Department have had with the Office for Health Improvements and Disparities on the findings in it's Vaping in England review, published on 29 September 2022, that non-tobacco flavours may play a positive role in helping people switch from smoking to vaping.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Due to the nicotine content and the unknown long-term harms, vaping carries risks to health and lifelong addiction for children. Vaping is, therefore, only recommended for adult smokers who wish to quit smoking. Young people and people who have never smoked, should not vape.
Our youth vaping call for evidence, published in 2023, demonstrated that the flavours are one of the main reasons that vapes appeal to children. However, as set out in the 2022 Nicotine vaping in England review, we also recognize that there is some evidence that non-tobacco flavours can play a positive role in smoking cessation. This is why it is critical we strike the balance between restricting flavours in vapes to reduce their appeal to young people, whilst also ensuring that vapes remain available for adult smokers as a viable smoking cessation tool.
In the upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we will introduce powers to restrict vape flavours. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Department will then undertake further analysis and consultation before introducing any specific flavour restrictions. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) is an internal part of the Department, and OHID officials are leading on our smokefree generation and youth vaping work.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of (a) vapes, (b) vapes with flavoured e-liquids and (c) vapes with fruit, dessert and sweet flavoured e-liquids at successful tobacco smoking cessation.
Answered by Andrea Leadsom - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)
Due to the nicotine content and the unknown long-term harms, vaping carries risks to health and lifelong addiction for children. Vaping is, therefore, only recommended for adult smokers who wish to quit smoking. Young people and people who have never smoked, should not vape.
Our youth vaping call for evidence, published in 2023, demonstrated that the flavours are one of the main reasons that vapes appeal to children. However, as set out in the 2022 Nicotine vaping in England review, we also recognize that there is some evidence that non-tobacco flavours can play a positive role in smoking cessation. This is why it is critical we strike the balance between restricting flavours in vapes to reduce their appeal to young people, whilst also ensuring that vapes remain available for adult smokers as a viable smoking cessation tool.
In the upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we will introduce powers to restrict vape flavours. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Department will then undertake further analysis and consultation before introducing any specific flavour restrictions. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) is an internal part of the Department, and OHID officials are leading on our smokefree generation and youth vaping work.