Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the procurement process for research into the potential effect of any changes to the 10 per cent maximum commission on sales of park homes will be completed; and what the length of the contract period is of that research.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The procurement process for the research to assess the potential effect of a change to the 10 per cent sales commission on park homes is complete. I can confirm that a consortium led by University of Liverpool has been commissioned to carry out the research.
The research is expected to be completed by the end of this year. The research team has started inviting residents and site owners to take part in focus group meetings starting in April.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when the draft guidance on fit and proper person licensing for park home operators will be (a) finalised and (b) published.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The fit and proper person test for park home site operators will come into force in two parts - on 1 July, by which time local authorities must be prepared to receive applications and on 1 October, by which time all park home site operators must have submitted an application to the relevant local authority.
To assist local authorities and site owners, we plan to publish non-statutory guidance on the implementation of the fit and proper person test by the end of May.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make it his policy to increase the number of caravans and tents permitted at site and locations certified for self-catering holidays during 2021; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Local authorities are responsible for regulating the number of caravan and tent pitches on caravan sites through the planning and caravan site licensing regimes. We want to see them taking a flexible approach to requests for temporary increases in the number of pitches this summer where it is appropriate to do so.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Christchurch of 18 December 2020 on behalf of a constituent concerned about his inability to obtain an EWS1 Certificate for a flat in a three storey block; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
My noble Friend, Lord Greenhalgh, responded to the letter on 15 March 2021.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if the Government will make it a priority in the next Session of Parliament to bring forward legislative proposals to simplify and increase the transparency of company structures used by some owners of park home sites to limit a resident’s security of tenure and avoid liability for enforcement action pursuant to the undertakings given in 2018.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government remains committed to improving protections for park home residents.
We will introduce primary legislation to simplify the complex company structures used by some site owners to limit a resident’s security of tenure and avoid liability for any enforcement action when the parliamentary timetable allows.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will bring forward legislative proposals in the next Session of Parliament to amend and clarify the definition of a pitch fee for park home residents and prevent the use of variable service charges in written agreements pursuant to the undertakings given in 2018.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government remains committed to improving protections for park home residents.
We will introduce primary legislation to amend and clarify the definition of a pitch fee and prevent the use of variable service charges in written agreements, when the parliamentary timetable allows.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government has plans to bring forward legislative proposals in the next session of Parliament to change the inflationary index for park home pitch fees from RPI to CPI.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government remains committed to improving protections for park home residents.
We will introduce primary legislation to change the pitch fee review inflationary index from the Retail Prices Index (RPI) to the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), when the parliamentary timetable allows.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department has taken in respect of the Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment) Bill since the discussion between the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the hon. Member for Christchurch on 11 November 2020.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
As the Hon. Member for Christchurch is aware, the Government is unable to support his Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment) Bill as currently drafted. However, the Government remains committed to improving protections for park home residents and will continue to build on the substantial improvements already made to the sector by the Mobile Homes Act 2013.
On 23 September, we delivered on our commitment to make Regulations introducing a fit and proper test for park home site owners or their manager. We are making progress on introducing further primary legislation as parliamentary time allows to deliver on other commitments set out in our 2018 response to the review of park homes legislation.
Following the meeting with the Hon. Member, my Department has been carefully considering options and the detailed policy to ensure that any proposed at any proposed measures can be delivered effectively without any unintended consequences.
Asked by: Christopher Chope (Conservative - Christchurch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the oral contribution made by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on 23 October 2020, Official Report, column 1418, what progress his Department has made on exploring options on how to deliver better protection for park home residents; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Kelly Tolhurst
As the Hon. Member for Christchurch is aware, the Government is unable to support his Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment) Bill as currently drafted. However, the Government remains committed to improving protections for park home residents and will continue to build on the substantial improvements already made to the sector by the Mobile Homes Act 2013.
On 23 September, we delivered on our commitment to make Regulations introducing a fit and proper test for park home site owners or their manager. We are making progress on introducing further primary legislation as parliamentary time allows to deliver on other commitments set out in our 2018 response to the review of park homes legislation.
Following the meeting with the Hon. Member, my Department has been carefully considering options and the detailed policy to ensure that any proposed at any proposed measures can be delivered effectively without any unintended consequences.