Rachel Maclean: That sort of behaviour is completely unacceptable. I thank my hon. Friend for bringing it to our attention. We are committing to providing buyers of new build houses with strong powers of redress. We have legislated to establish the new homes ombudsman scheme in the Building Safety Act 2022, membership of which will be mandatory for developers.
Rachel Maclean: ...Fridays. The Bill seeks to enhance the integrity of voting at elections and to safeguard our democracy against those who would harm it, and I therefore welcome the progress that it has made in both Houses. Today gives us an excellent chance to see it speed its way towards the statute book. The new offence will be a hugely important addition to the various other measures, arising from the...
Rachel Maclean: ...have the confidence to challenge inappropriate behaviour where it occurs and to stamp down on any opportunity for coercion to take place at our elections. I therefore commend the Bill to the House.
Rachel Maclean: The Secretary of State set out, in the House, his intention to bring the 'outdated and feudal' tenure of leasehold to an end. The Government wishes to extend the benefits of freehold ownership to more homeowners. That is why we have committed to end the sale of new leasehold houses, and to reinvigorate commonhold so it can finally be a genuine alternative to leasehold; it is why we have...
Rachel Maclean: ...in respect of, for example, a specific development site where the LPA is seeking to apply a section 106 planning obligation on a developer for the provision of local infrastructure or affordable housing. Government guidance is clear that any such viability assessment, undertaken by the VOA or any other party, should be prepared on the basis that it will be made publicly available other...
Rachel Maclean: The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities shares the cross-government objective of increasing the use of modern methods of construction. Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations are published on gov.uk.
Rachel Maclean: As part of creating a fair and just housing system, the Government is committed to making sure that homeowners and tenants are protected from abuse and poor service. Further announcements will be made in the usual way.
Rachel Maclean: ...sector on a range of issues. When considering changes to the New Homes Bonus, the Government has considered both the impact on local authorities and the effectiveness of the Bonus in encouraging housing growth. Further announcements will be set out in the usual way.
Rachel Maclean: Part 11 of the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill includes relevant provisions and is under consideration in the House of Lords.
Rachel Maclean: When preparing local plans, local authorities should make a realistic assessment of the number of homes their communities need. Local authorities should also assess the size, type and tenure of housing needed for different groups in the community and reflect this in their planning policies.
Rachel Maclean: The department publishes data on homes which the permitted development rights have delivered. The figures can be found at Housing delivery Table 123.
Rachel Maclean: There is growing consensus across the House that in the past, too many decisions about local areas have been made by politicians here in Whitehall. It is not for me to stand in the way of the best interests of the democratically elected Middlesborough Council and the Mayor of Tees Valley, Ben Houchen, who is promoting the best interests of local people in seeking to regenerate the area. The...
Rachel Maclean: ...rent increases through the First-Tier Tribunal, and enable tenants to be repaid rent for non-decent homes. At Autumn Statement 2022, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that the social housing rent cap would be set at 7% for 2023-24. The cap was set at 7% as it strikes an appropriate balance between protecting social tenants from high rent increases and ensuring that Registered...
Rachel Maclean: The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill provides powers for the Government to introduce the Infrastructure Levy. The Bill is currently in the House of Lords.
Rachel Maclean: According to the most recent English Housing Survey, there were an estimated 4.33 million occupied dwellings within the private rented sector in 2021-22, compared to 4.02 million in 2013-14. Full stock tables for each year are available online at the following link.
Rachel Maclean: As set out previously, the Government has been examining ways to incentivise the prompt build-out of permitted housing sites and to support councils to act against those who fail to meet these commitments. Through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, we are requiring housing developers to notify local authorities, via a Development Commencement Notice, when they commence development. We...
Rachel Maclean: The Government remains committed to the Right to Buy, which since 1980â¯has enabled over two million social housing tenants to become homeowners.
Rachel Maclean: ...rent is likely to be a tenant's biggest monthly expense. Individuals who need help towards their rental payments may be eligible for a range of support through the welfare system. The English Housing Survey 2021-22 found that 3% of private renters were in arrears and 4% of social renters were in arrears at the time of interview (Apr 21 - Mar 22). These levels are similar to those the year...
Rachel Maclean: The Local Housing Allowance's rates are set for each Broad Rental Market Area (BRMA). These areas can encompass more than one local authority, and local authorities can also be split between two BRMAs. As a result, we cannot provide this information at the local authority level.
Rachel Maclean: The Government provides landlords with funding for new supply of affordable housing, including for regeneration schemes where that investment delivers net additional housing. However, we generally expect landlords to fund repairs and other regeneration themselves from the income they get from rents and their own market activities.
