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Written Question
Leasehold
Thursday 30th March 2023

Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)

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 bring forward legislative proposals to allow leaseholders to buy the freehold of their property; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Rachel Maclean

The Government wishes to extend the benefits of freehold ownership to more homeowners.

That is why we have committed to end the sale of new leasehold houses, and to reinvigorate commonhold so it can finally be a genuine alternative to leasehold. We will make it easier for leaseholders to purchase the freehold of their building, and take control of their building, by enhancing enfranchisement and the Right to Manage.

We will set out our next steps in due course.


Written Question
Local Government: Workplace Pensions
Tuesday 20th December 2022

Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what guidance his Department issues to local authorities on the length of time a person has to be assessed as being incapacitated by long covid before complying with the provisions on early payment of retirement pensions on the grounds of ill-health of section 35 of the Local Government Pension Scheme Regulations 2013; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)

The current regulations and guidance on ill-health retirement benefits in the Local Government Pension Scheme do not specify medical conditions or any period of ill-health before a member is eligible. The employer must appoint an Independent Registered Medical Practitioner to assess how long the member is unlikely to be capable of undertaking gainful employment, in light of their particular medical condition. It is the responsibility of the employer to decide if the member qualifies for an ill-health pension in the light of the assessment.



Written Question
Leasehold: Reform
Monday 12th December 2022

Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent progress his Department has made on (a) allowing leaseholders to extend their leases to 990 years and (b) implementing other leasehold reforms.

Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport

I refer my Hon. Friend to the answer I gave to Question UIN 75940 on 9 November 2022.


Written Question
Leasehold: Fees and Charges
Wednesday 18th May 2022

Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what plans he has to regulate the cost of residential lease extensions; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Eddie Hughes

We are taking forward a comprehensive programme of reform to end unfair practices in the leasehold market.

Under the current system, too many leaseholders find the process for extending their lease or buying their freehold prohibitively expensive, too complex and lacking transparency. The Government is addressing historic imbalance to ensure fairness for leaseholders, whilst taking account of the legitimate rights of freeholders. We will continue to ensure we meet this objective as we bring forward reforms.

In January 2021, the Government announced a package of reforms on enfranchisement valuation. The Government will reform the process of valuation that leaseholders must follow to calculate the cost of extending their lease or buying their freehold. We will abolish marriage value, cap the treatment of ground rents at 0.1% of the freehold value, and prescribe rates for the calculations at market value. The Government will also introduce an online calculator, further simplifying the process and ensuring standardisation and fairness for all. These changes will result in substantial savings for some leaseholders, particularly those with fewer than 80 years left on their lease. Our reforms also make sure that sufficient compensation is paid to landlords to reflect their legitimate property interests.

Through these reforms, the length of a statutory lease extension will increase to 990 years, from 90 years (for flats) and 50 years (for houses). Leaseholders will be able to extend their lease with zero ground rent on payment of a premium.

We have already taken action to end unfair practices in the leasehold market, beginning with the Ground Rent Act, which comes into force on 30 June 2022, and is the first part of a two-part programme of legislation to reform the leasehold system in this Parliament.


Written Question
Leasehold
Monday 31st January 2022

Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will take steps to review the (a) extent and (b) implications of property managing agents' use of embedded management agreements as a substitute for leasehold agreements; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Eddie Hughes

The Government is committed to promoting fairness and transparency for homeowners and renters and making sure that consumers are protected from abuse and poor service. This commitment includes raising professionalism and standards amongst managing agents, protecting consumers while defending the reputation of good agents from the actions of rogue operatives.

Leaseholders purchasing a property will enter into a lease agreement with the freeholder. A property or managing agent may also be named in the lease, and leases may have an exit clause which determines how and when to manage or replace the managing agent. However, leaseholders can take action if they are concerned with the poor performance of a managing agent. They may complain to the relevant Government-approved redress scheme to which a managing agent must belong. Furthermore Section 24 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 gives the tribunal the power to appoint a manager to take over the landlord's right to manage the building where there has been a significant management failure by the existing managing agent or landlord.


Written Question
Community Ownership Fund
Friday 10th December 2021

Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when the December 2021 round of the Community Ownership Fund will open for bids; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Neil O'Brien

21 successful projects have been announced in the first round of the Community Ownership Fund, supporting communities across the United Kingdom to take ownership of assets and amenities at risk of closure.

We are currently conducting a review of the outcomes of the first round of the Fund. Information on the opening of the next round will be published in the prospectus on GOV.UK shortly.


Written Question
Local Government
Thursday 9th December 2021

Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with district councils on the development of county deals; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Neil O'Brien

District council representatives were invited to an online seminar held by the Minister for Regional Growth and Local Government on July 27 2021. Since then a series of meetings have taken place between local representatives, officials and ministers to understand areas’ proposals for county deals; district councils were welcome at these meetings. In discussions thus far, we have been pleased to see collaboration between county and district councils on devolution proposals to deliver better outcomes for their area. Further details on county deals will be set out in the forthcoming Levelling Up White Paper.


Written Question
Business: Government Assistance
Thursday 9th December 2021

Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment his Department has made of the (a) effectiveness of the that role district councils played in the rapid deployment of the £9 billion covid-19 business support grants programme and (b) impact that role had on preserving businesses and jobs; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Neil O'Brien

The Government has introduced an unprecedented package of support for businesses, including grants for those businesses that are required to close, or which are severely affected by the restrictions put in place to tackle Covid-19 and save lives. Since the start of the pandemic, the Government has allocated a total of over £26 billion on business grants. All Covid-19 Business Grant schemes have been administered through lower tier local authorities in England


The Government recognises the important and valuable contribution that local government employees make to the delivery of excellent public services, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, which has presented real and complex challenges for local authorities and has put their resources under pressure.  

The Government continues to work closely with local authorities in England to support the implementation of business grants during the Covid-19 pandemic and monitor the distribution of grant funds.


Written Question
Business Rates: Tax Allowances
Monday 15th November 2021

Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when local authorities will begin to allocate the £1.5 billion made available under the Business Rates Relief Fund announced in March 2021; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade

The Government announced a £1.5 billion pot of additional business rates relief for properties affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that have not otherwise been eligible for existing reliefs. My Department will publish guidance to help local authorities set up their local schemes once the legislation relating to COVID-19 Material Change of Circumstances provisions has passed.


Written Question
Travellers: Caravan Sites
Thursday 22nd July 2021

Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has any grant funding schemes in place to help local authorities meet the cost of providing more authorised sites for travellers; and if he will make a statement.

Answered by Christopher Pincher

The Government encourages local planning authorities to increase the number of traveller sites in appropriate locations and are supporting efforts through the new Affordable Homes Programme. Local authorities, and social housing providers can bid for funding through the £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 which will leverage up to £38 billion of private and public investment, and includes funding for permanent traveller sites and transit sites.