Rachel Maclean: ...for one will be looking at that with great interest. I thank all other hon. Members, and I will come to their remarks before I finish speaking. The Government fully recognise the importance of SME house builders, and we are committed to ensuring that SMEs survive and thrive. We all share that objective. In case of any doubt, I will confirm that we support this critical part of the housing...
Rachel Maclean: Reviewing and updating the HHSRS is integral to the government's commitment to ensuring that everyone has a safe and decent standard of housing free from dangerously hazardous conditions. The review aims to streamline the process that local councils take in inspecting properties to assess hazards and, make it easier for landlords and tenants to understand the standards required, supporting...
Rachel Maclean: ...suggests rent controls in the private rented sector have unwelcome consequences, discouraging investment and leading to declining property standards. The Government notes the opposition of the housing minister in the Welsh Government to rent freezes and her statement that they would have “unintended consequences".
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.
Rachel Maclean: ...short term, to provide data to evaluate the policy, which will be conducted by the Government and the Electoral Commission in line with the legislation that was voted on, debated and passed by this House. The Electoral Commission has published suggested templates of the necessary forms and has updated its guidance in the polling station handbook to reflect the new processes. As required by...
Rachel Maclean: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his forensic scrutiny, as we would expect from the Chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee. I will make a couple of basic points, but it may be appropriate for me to follow up in writing, because he is referring to some conversations—[Interruption.] I would be grateful if the hon. Member for Nottingham North (Alex Norris) would stop...
Rachel Maclean: ...), answering questions on behalf of the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission is subject to scrutiny and plays a vital role in these processes. For the avoidance of doubt, I remind the House that we are very concerned to get the process of data collection correct. As set out in the voter identification regulations, data collection will take place in polling stations via two forms:...
Rachel Maclean: I thank the Father of the House for his comments. He is right in saying that voter ID is required not only in Northern Ireland—introduced by a Labour Government—but in the Republic of Ireland, along with many other European countries and Canada. This country is currently an outlier, and many experts have made that point. My hon. Friend mentioned the arrangements at polling stations. We...
Rachel Maclean: ...polling station. There is a long list of valid forms of photo ID, and we know that 98% of the population hold one of them. I have the list here and it is available on gov.uk. I will not detain the House by reading them all out, but they include: driving licence; passport; blue badge; PASS—national Proof of Age Standards Scheme—card; the Young Scot card; the Post Office card; and of...
Rachel Maclean: The hon. Gentleman makes a series of points that I do not accept. I do not recognise or accept in any shape or form the statements he has made on the Floor of this House that we are seeking to remove the right to vote. I think those were the words he mentioned. I remind him that 99% of young people already have a valid form of voter identification, and I have answered the question put to me...
Rachel Maclean: ...are turned away and who later return to the polling station with accepted ID will be recorded by a polling clerk or a presiding officer at the issuing desk. As has been discussed many times in this House, with the arguments rehearsed by many hon. Members, the greeters outside the polling station have an important role to play. However, I am sure that hon. Members can appreciate that, if...
Rachel Maclean: I thank the hon. Gentleman. He is probably the only Member of this House who has real experience of the system working.
Rachel Maclean: ...giving us the potential to deliver homes cheaper and quicker, but it means we have to be joined up so that we have a sustained pipeline for these companies to be able to deliver these important new houses. Through our £11.5 billion affordable homes programme we are challenging the sector to increase the number of homes delivered through modern method of construction. Around 40% of current...
Rachel Maclean: ...such a huge impact on her constituents. The Government stand firmly behind local leaders, in Oxfordshire and elsewhere, through upcoming measures such as legislative changes supporting sustainable housing growth. I think the hon. Lady started from 30 years ago, but I will not go quite that far back—I will go back just to 2017. Oxfordshire has long been pivotal to the UK economy, with...
Rachel Maclean: Housing in Scotland is a devolved matter. The Government does not support the introduction of rent controls in the private rented sector which would set the level of rent. Evidence suggests that these would discourage investment and would lead to declining property standards as a result, which would not help landlords and would worsen conditions for tenants.
Rachel Maclean: The Government has committed to a new taskforce to look at how we can provide greater choice, quality and security of housing for older people. On 4 April we announced the appointment of Professor Julienne Meyer as the new independent Chair of the taskforce. Ministers look forward to hearing the taskforce's views and advice in the coming months.
Rachel Maclean: ...lead to declining property standards as a result. This would help neither landlords nor tenants. International examples also suggest that rent controls can have a negative impact on the supply of housing and may encourage illegal subletting.
Rachel Maclean: ...Since the national policy on Article 4 directions was amended on 1 July 2021, the department has not cancelled or modified any Article 4 directions which disapply permitted development rights for a house in multiple occupation. Since July 2021, the department has modified Article 4 directions for 10 local authorities for other reasons.
Rachel Maclean: The Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) provides capital grants for new homes. The Government values the role of smaller housing providers in delivering housing supply where it is most needed. The AHP enables smaller providers to access grant funding through a Continuous Market Engagement (CME) function, which is designed to support individual schemes. Providers can be paid on a cashflow basis,...
Rachel Maclean: ...should have access to a good quality and safe homes. Selective licensing is a targeted tool to improve standards and safety in the private rented sector in areas suffering from issues such as poor housing quality, levels of deprivation and anti-social behaviour. In the White Paper: A Fairer Private Rented Sector, we set out how we are going to reform the private rented sector to level up...
