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

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the Communities, Housing and Local Government Committee's report on leasehold reform, published in March 2019, whether his Department plans to implement the recommendations for a Code of Practice to ensure (a) local authorities provide evidence to leaseholders that they are receiving the same value from procurement practices in the public sector as they might reasonably expect in the private sector and (b) public procurement rules are not being used for overcharging.

The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 is clear that service charges must be reasonable, and where costs relate to work or services, the work or services must be of a reasonable standard. Leaseholders may make an application to the appropriate tribunal to challenge the reasonableness of their service charges.

We are committed to better protecting and empowering leaseholders by giving them more information on what their costs pay for. This will help them more effectively challenge their landlord if they consider their fees are unreasonable. We are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this parliament.