Clause 3 - Local housing authorities to review housing conditions in their districts
Housing Bill
5:00 pm
Mr Keith Hill (Minister of State (Housing and Planning), Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; Streatham, Labour)
I start by offering the Committee the reassurance that the Government are genuinely seized of the importance of the issue. I want to say a little more about our approach to empty residential homes specified in the amendments. First, I hope that the Committee will be interested in the report that I received in June 2003 of the flats above shops taskforce established by the British Property Federation. It looks at the enormous opportunities in that sector, estimating that it has the potential to accommodate 300,000 people. That would not only serve our purposes in reducing the problems of homelessness and resolving other housing issues, but revitalise our inner-city areas and town centres. We are now carrying forward the eleven proposals and recommendations in conjunction with other national agencies. It has already been said that it is estimated that 300,000 residential properties are standing empty in the long term. As hon. Members have said, a combination of action in both areas would go a long way to address our problems with housing supply.
Before I deal with the amendment and new clause tabled by the hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton, representing the party of Bright and Cobden, I shall turn my attentions to the representative of the party of Shaftesbury and Disraeli, the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings. It is possibly the party of the vulnerable, but historically it has been the party of property par excellence. I am fascinated to discover that Conservatives felt frustrated by the Government's failure to include measures on empty homes in the Bill. I feel a tremendous welling up of affection towards the hon. Member for South Holland and The Deepings, not only because of his constituency title.
However, the hon. Gentleman cannot have it both ways. He referred to his party's support for the incentive schemes, which were introduced under the previous Conservative Administration by the right hon. Member for North-West Hampshire (Sir George Young). Although those schemes were proper, desirable and commendable, the debate has moved on, and the hon. Gentleman should be in no doubt where the debate on empty homes is now focused.
The hon. Gentleman said that it would be monstrous if people were obliged to let their property against their will, but the point of the proposals for compulsory leasing is for local authorities to step in to manage such properties irrespective of the owner's will. That is where the debate has reached and where the Conservative party needs to nail its colours to the mast. Warm words simply will not do.