Rachel Maclean: ...from the outset. We know there is more to be done, which is why we are taking two key further steps on new homes. First, we have made great strides in tackling the needless practice of selling new houses as leasehold. Our actions, including prohibiting Government programmes such as Help to Buy from funding new leasehold houses, have seen the share of new houses sold as leasehold cut from...
Rachel Maclean: ...the place where they and their loved ones sleep at night. Crucially, we are pursuing this agenda in the right way, working hand in hand with the Law Commission, the CMA and our partners across the housing sector.
Rachel Maclean: ...point. I repeat that we are committed to moving to a fairer, simpler and more equitable system. We are committed to the promises in our manifesto, as the Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, my hon. Friend the Member for North East Derbyshire (Lee Rowley), set out in his opening remarks. These promises have been repeated by previous Secretaries of State with...
Rachel Maclean: ..., and I hope colleagues will see that my aim is to reflect that in my remarks—indeed, it is what all hon. Members have said—but we agree with him that we must tackle the issue of constrained housing supply. My hon. Friend is right to challenge me on how quickly such measures could be enacted, and I will definitely turn to that in the body of my speech, but let me first say that I want...
Rachel Maclean: Further to the measures under debate in the Social Housing Regulation Bill, approaches to regeneration should have the support of a majority of residents. Residents and the wider community should have the opportunity to have a say on the choices and options, master-planning and design.
Rachel Maclean: ...published today continue to show that supply within the private rented sector is roughly stable. We are continuing to monitor the private rented sector, through sources such as the English Housing Survey and ONS Rental Price Index. The Renters (Reform) Bill exempts Private Registered Providers of Social Housing (PRPSH) offering assured tenancies of social housing from these changes. These...
Rachel Maclean: ...statement to remind Local Planning Authorities that, as set out in paragraph 62 of the National Planning Policy Framework, local planning authorities should assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community and reflect this in planning policies and decisions. Local planning authorities should consider whether it is appropriate to include accommodation...
Rachel Maclean: We assess levels of damp and overcrowding by tenure through the English Housing Survey, which can be found here. Local level data will be held by the local authority in question. Everyone deserves a decent home - one that is free from dangerous damp and mould and overcrowding - which is why we committed to reducing the number of non-decent rented homes by 50% by 2030. We are reviewing the...
Rachel Maclean: The Renters (Reform) Bill had its First Reading in the House of Commons on 17 May. I refer the Hon Member to the Written Ministerial Statement (HCWS778) and to the published guide to the Bill. We have submitted our Impact Assessment for review by the Regulatory Policy Committee. This is a significant document and they now need time to scrutinise it. We will publish it once that process has...
Rachel Maclean: ...proportion of these homes will be made available for Social Rent, directly helping low-income households who are unable to rent or buy at market rates. The latest published statistics for housing delivery in London can be found here.
Rachel Maclean: ...-up white paper to deliver more of them. Our Affordable Homes Programme is responding to that commitment and will deliver tens of thousands of Social Rent homes, as will our Local Authority Housing Fund. Since 2010 we have delivered over 162,800 homes for social rent.
Rachel Maclean: The Government remains committed to the Right to Buy, which since 1980 has enabled over two million social housing tenants to become homeowners. Any future announcements will be set out in the usual way. The Voluntary Right to Buy Midlands pilot was independently evaluated by RSM Economic Consulting, with the report published in 2021.
Rachel Maclean: ..., and to tackle the impacts of HMOs on his community, helpful. My hon. Friend is right to say that HMOs provide relatively low-cost accommodation for rent and can play an important part in the housing market. However, he also rightly highlights some concerns about what the concentration of HMOs can bring, particularly in residential areas, and how they can require control due to those...
Rachel Maclean: I thank my hon. Friend for bringing his residents’ concerns to the Floor of the House. Of course, he will appreciate that I am not able to comment on the specific circumstances surrounding that particular case, but I am more than happy to meet him outside the Chamber and look into the details of that. I want to make the planning process clear to my hon. Friends. It is absolutely right...
Rachel Maclean: ...and welcomes the partnership approach that is being taken. Government will continue to engage with partners, as they develop the evidence base. Government understands that partners will assess the housing impacts of transport options as part of the initial business case that is currently being developed.
Rachel Maclean: ...be difficult for some tenants. In these cases, local councils may offer guarantee schemes to help people on low incomes or at risk of homelessness. Further advice is available from local council housing teams, Shelter and other specialist advisers.
Rachel Maclean: Variable service charges must be reasonable and, where costs relate to works or services, the works or services must be of a reasonable standard. We believe that charges to leaseholders and social housing tenants should be transparent and communicated effectively, and there should be a clear route to challenge them if things go wrong. With regard specifically to social housing tenants I refer...
Rachel Maclean: The Government remains committed to the Right to Buy, which since 1980 has enabled over two million social housing tenants to become homeowners. Any future announcements will be set out in the usual way.
Rachel Maclean: The Government is committed to increasing the supply of new homes, including affordable housing, so we can meet our target of 300,000 new homes a year. As has been the case under successive administrations, it is for local authorities to set out their plans to address housing need in their areas, including how much of that should be for affordable housing. Our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes...
Rachel Maclean: The Government is committed to increasing the supply of new homes, including affordable housing, so we can meet our target of 300,000 new homes a year. As has been the case under successive administrations, it is for Local Authorities to set out their plans to address housing need in their areas, including how much of that should be for affordable housing. Our £11.5bn Affordable Homes...
