Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if his Department will set a timeframe for introducing legislative provisions on ensuring that leaseholders will not be subject to ground 8 mandatory possession orders for arrears of ground rent.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
The Government has already legislated via the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022. The Act makes homeownership fairer and more transparent for thousands of future leaseholders future leaseholders, by preventing landlords under most new residential long leases from requiring a leaseholder to pay a financial ground rent. If any ground rent is demanded as part of a new residential long lease that is regulated by the Act, it cannot be for more than one peppercorn per year.
We understand that some leaseholders have suffered as a result of high and escalating ground rents. Unfair practices have no place in the housing market and the Government is committed to ending them. We want to see homeowners who have been affected obtain the justice and redress they deserve. This is why we asked the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to investigate potential mis-selling of homes and unfair terms in the leasehold sector.
The CMA have secured commitments benefiting over 20,000 leaseholders.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether any statutory provisions allow the leader of parish or town councils (a) found to have mismanaged, (b) found to have committed misconduct and (c) who do not set a balanced budget to be (i) struck off or (ii) prevented from continuing to lead that council.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Government is aware that Staveley Town Council is experiencing financial difficulties. The Government has engaged with Staveley Town Council and Chesterfield Borough Council to help facilitate a local resolution, and will continue to monitor the situation.
Parish councils are responsible for setting their level of Council Tax to meet the service needs of their area and for maintaining robust financial management. If local councils experience financial difficulties, the government expects that they should take all necessary step to manage the pressures locally and engage with their Principal Authority.
Parish councils are not defined as best value authorities within the Local Government Act 1999 and so the government does not have the powers to intervene using the best value powers. The government is also not able to provide direct financial support to parish councils. Responsibility for reviewing and making decisions with respect to parish councils is devolved to local authorities and their communities.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) officials in his Department have had with (i) Staveley Town and (ii) Chesterfield Borough Council on the finances of Staveley Town Council.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Government is aware that Staveley Town Council is experiencing financial difficulties. The Government has engaged with Staveley Town Council and Chesterfield Borough Council to help facilitate a local resolution, and will continue to monitor the situation.
Parish councils are responsible for setting their level of Council Tax to meet the service needs of their area and for maintaining robust financial management. If local councils experience financial difficulties, the government expects that they should take all necessary step to manage the pressures locally and engage with their Principal Authority.
Parish councils are not defined as best value authorities within the Local Government Act 1999 and so the government does not have the powers to intervene using the best value powers. The government is also not able to provide direct financial support to parish councils. Responsibility for reviewing and making decisions with respect to parish councils is devolved to local authorities and their communities.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department has the capacity and ability to launch an independent inquiry into finances of Staveley Town Council.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Government is aware that Staveley Town Council is experiencing financial difficulties. The Government has engaged with Staveley Town Council and Chesterfield Borough Council to help facilitate a local resolution, and will continue to monitor the situation.
Parish councils are responsible for setting their level of Council Tax to meet the service needs of their area and for maintaining robust financial management. If local councils experience financial difficulties, the government expects that they should take all necessary step to manage the pressures locally and engage with their Principal Authority.
Parish councils are not defined as best value authorities within the Local Government Act 1999 and so the government does not have the powers to intervene using the best value powers. The government is also not able to provide direct financial support to parish councils. Responsibility for reviewing and making decisions with respect to parish councils is devolved to local authorities and their communities.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether (a) his Department or (b) any other public body is able to take steps to prevent parish or town councils from setting council tax precept increases that exceed inflation.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Government is aware that Staveley Town Council is experiencing financial difficulties. The Government has engaged with Staveley Town Council and Chesterfield Borough Council to help facilitate a local resolution, and will continue to monitor the situation.
Parish councils are responsible for setting their level of Council Tax to meet the service needs of their area and for maintaining robust financial management. If local councils experience financial difficulties, the government expects that they should take all necessary step to manage the pressures locally and engage with their Principal Authority.
Parish councils are not defined as best value authorities within the Local Government Act 1999 and so the government does not have the powers to intervene using the best value powers. The government is also not able to provide direct financial support to parish councils. Responsibility for reviewing and making decisions with respect to parish councils is devolved to local authorities and their communities.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether any statutory provisions allow creditors to seek winding up orders against town or parish councils when they cannot pay their debts.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Government is aware that Staveley Town Council is experiencing financial difficulties. The Government has engaged with Staveley Town Council and Chesterfield Borough Council to help facilitate a local resolution, and will continue to monitor the situation.
Parish councils are responsible for setting their level of Council Tax to meet the service needs of their area and for maintaining robust financial management. If local councils experience financial difficulties, the government expects that they should take all necessary step to manage the pressures locally and engage with their Principal Authority.
Parish councils are not defined as best value authorities within the Local Government Act 1999 and so the government does not have the powers to intervene using the best value powers. The government is also not able to provide direct financial support to parish councils. Responsibility for reviewing and making decisions with respect to parish councils is devolved to local authorities and their communities.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which (a) Government departments and (b) public bodies can intervene when town or parish councils are unable to pay their debts.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Government is aware that Staveley Town Council is experiencing financial difficulties. The Government has engaged with Staveley Town Council and Chesterfield Borough Council to help facilitate a local resolution, and will continue to monitor the situation.
Parish councils are responsible for setting their level of Council Tax to meet the service needs of their area and for maintaining robust financial management. If local councils experience financial difficulties, the government expects that they should take all necessary step to manage the pressures locally and engage with their Principal Authority.
Parish councils are not defined as best value authorities within the Local Government Act 1999 and so the government does not have the powers to intervene using the best value powers. The government is also not able to provide direct financial support to parish councils. Responsibility for reviewing and making decisions with respect to parish councils is devolved to local authorities and their communities.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether the Government is able to (a) intervene in matters relating to and (b) inspect the governance of parish or town councils.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Government is aware that Staveley Town Council is experiencing financial difficulties. The Government has engaged with Staveley Town Council and Chesterfield Borough Council to help facilitate a local resolution, and will continue to monitor the situation.
Parish councils are responsible for setting their level of Council Tax to meet the service needs of their area and for maintaining robust financial management. If local councils experience financial difficulties, the government expects that they should take all necessary step to manage the pressures locally and engage with their Principal Authority.
Parish councils are not defined as best value authorities within the Local Government Act 1999 and so the government does not have the powers to intervene using the best value powers. The government is also not able to provide direct financial support to parish councils. Responsibility for reviewing and making decisions with respect to parish councils is devolved to local authorities and their communities.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps (a) employees, (b) creditors and (c) Government departments can take to recover monies owed to them by town or parish councils.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Government is aware that Staveley Town Council is experiencing financial difficulties. The Government has engaged with Staveley Town Council and Chesterfield Borough Council to help facilitate a local resolution, and will continue to monitor the situation.
Parish councils are responsible for setting their level of Council Tax to meet the service needs of their area and for maintaining robust financial management. If local councils experience financial difficulties, the government expects that they should take all necessary step to manage the pressures locally and engage with their Principal Authority.
Parish councils are not defined as best value authorities within the Local Government Act 1999 and so the government does not have the powers to intervene using the best value powers. The government is also not able to provide direct financial support to parish councils. Responsibility for reviewing and making decisions with respect to parish councils is devolved to local authorities and their communities.
Asked by: Toby Perkins (Labour - Chesterfield)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which (a) Government departments and (b) public bodies can intervene when town or parish councils do not set a balanced budget.
Answered by Dehenna Davison
The Government is aware that Staveley Town Council is experiencing financial difficulties. The Government has engaged with Staveley Town Council and Chesterfield Borough Council to help facilitate a local resolution, and will continue to monitor the situation.
Parish councils are responsible for setting their level of Council Tax to meet the service needs of their area and for maintaining robust financial management. If local councils experience financial difficulties, the government expects that they should take all necessary step to manage the pressures locally and engage with their Principal Authority.
Parish councils are not defined as best value authorities within the Local Government Act 1999 and so the government does not have the powers to intervene using the best value powers. The government is also not able to provide direct financial support to parish councils. Responsibility for reviewing and making decisions with respect to parish councils is devolved to local authorities and their communities.