Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what monitoring, outcome delivery and value-for-money assessments have taken place for Homes England grants awarded to McCarthy Stone since 2021; what financial risk assessments have been conducted regarding resale values and service charges for older residents and their families who have purchased properties developed via this grant; and what discussions she has had with Homes England on publishing a review outlining funding decisions and performance so far.

Regular reporting and evaluation requirements were placed upon recipients of grant from the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26, including those delivering Older Persons Shared Ownership (OPSO), to help monitor delivery and assess its expected outputs and outcomes.

While my Department and Homes England set the policy and funding framework within which OPSO was delivered under the 2021-26 Programme, individual registered providers are responsible for the management of their schemes, the terms of their leases and their engagement with residents. We would expect them to ensure that purchasers are provided with clear and transparent information about the product they are buying, including the costs and obligations associated with it.

As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 26 November 2024 (HCWS249), my Department is giving careful consideration to the recommendations from the Older People's Housing Taskforce report, including its recommendation that the government should implement the Law Commission’s 2017 recommendation to undertake a comprehensive report into resale values to support better consumer understanding and sector development.

The level of service charge that leaseholders pay depends on many factors, including the terms of a lease and the age and condition of a building. By law, variable service charges must be reasonable. Overcharging through service charges is completely unacceptable. Should leaseholders wish to content the reasonableness of their service charges they may make an application to the appropriate tribunal. The government remains committed to switching on measures contained in the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 to drive up the transparency of service charges as set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 15 July 2026 (HCWS270).