Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the proposal by the Mayor of London to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy that a new public register of foreign ownership of properties be established, to combat their use for tax evasion, theft and terrorist activities.
Answered by Lord Henley
The dataset containing title records of properties in England and Wales registered to companies incorporated outside the UK is already available to the public. The government made HM Land Registry’s Overseas Companies Ownership Data available for free for the first time on 7 November 2017.
The Government is committed to establish the new public register of beneficial ownership of overseas entities that own property in the UK and recently issued a written ministerial statement to confirm the timetable for implementation (HLWS417).
This register will be the first of its kind in the world. We need to make sure the new requirements are workable, proportionate and that the register strikes the right balance between improving transparency and minimising burdens on legitimate commercial activity.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 28 September 2017 (HL1597), what plans they have to consult local authorities on the case for a register of short-term holiday let tenants.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
We have no such plans.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the operation of Chapter 1 of Part 2 of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 in respect of the ability of those exercising the right to manage premises to meet their obligations to manage by applying to the head lessee to allow them to pursue forfeiture of those premises following a court judgment which is unable to be enforced by any legal means presently available to them.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government's Call for Evidence, 'Protecting consumers in the letting and managing agent market', which closed on 29 November 2017, included a question on how it can be made easier for leaseholders to exercise their right to manage. Any changes as a result of the findings to this question may have an impact on the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002. An announcement will be made in due course.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 25 September 2017 (HL1596), how many London boroughs have sought authority to make a direction to remove the freedom to short-term let for 90 nights from properties in the last year; (1) on how many occasions, (2) in respect of how many properties, and (3) with what outcomes, such authority was sought; what process is available to long-term residential tenants to request that their borough commence that procedure; what obligation boroughs have to respond to any such request; and what efforts they have made to ensure London boroughs are aware of this procedure and have made information about it available to long-term residential tenants.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Under section 25B of the of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973, a local authority can seek Secretary of State’s consent to issue a direction that the right to short-term let without planning permission for up to 90 nights in a year is not to apply to particular residential properties or to residential premises situated in a specified area. No London borough has sought a consent in the last year.
Directions may only be given if it is necessary to protect the amenity of the locality. This is likely to be where there has been successful action against a statutory nuisance related to short-term letting; or there has been successful enforcement action against a breach of section 25 or 25A of the 1973 Act. If residents consider there are circumstances that would meet the criteria this can be raised with the relevant Borough. These criteria for giving a Direction are set out in the Planning Practice Guidance on the Gov.UK website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/when-is-permission-required Paragraph: 111 Reference ID: 13-111-20160519.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government for how many nights in a year a one bedroom property can be rented out on short-term lets without any application for planning permission being made.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
Section 25 of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973, as amended by section 44 of the Deregulation Act 2015 allows properties in London, which are liable for council tax, to be let out on a short-term basis for a maximum of 90 nights per calendar year without this being considered a material change of use for which planning permission is required (see section 25A of the 1973 Act). If these criteria are not met planning permission is required.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 2 January (HL4357), what steps they are taking to gather information about how many properties are being used for short-term holiday lets in London; and of those properties already identified, how many are (1) previously long-term rental units, and (2) one bedroom properties.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government does not gather information on how many properties are being used for short-term holiday lets in London. Although it does not hold specific information on short-term holiday lets, it does monitor broader trends in private rented housing through the English Housing Survey. We do not have an estimate of those long-term rental units in London that have changed to or are additionally used for short term or holiday lets in the last five years.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth on 28 September 2017 (HL1598), what discussions they have had with the Kensington Society about the impact on long-term residential tenants of the growth in the use of properties in London for short-term holiday lets; when the most recent discussions with that Society were held; and what plans they have to gather specific information about this practice.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
The Government has not held discussions with the Kensington Society about the impact of short-term holiday lets on long-term residential tenants. The Government has no current plans to gather information on the use of short-term holiday lets in London but it does monitor broader trends in private rented housing through the English Housing Survey. It is right that Londoners should have similar rights as elsewhere in England and be free to sublet their homes where their tenancy, contract or mortgage allows.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on their housebuilding programme of the announcement by the Federation of Master Builders that two-thirds of SME construction companies in London are struggling to hire bricklayers and carpenters.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
We need an industry that has the right skills to build more homes, including in new and innovative ways. Industry needs to take responsibility for ensuring that it has a sustainable supply chain, working with contractors to address skills requirements. As we leave the EU, there is an opportunity to invest in the workforce.
In the Housing White Paper, 'Fixing our broken housing market', the Government has set out its plans to help the construction sector ensure that it has the workforce it needs. We are reforming the Construction Industry Training Board so that it delivers the skills and technical education industry needs. This includes more workplace experience and simplification of the path to qualification. A new £34 million fund, administered by the Department for Education, will support and incentivise innovative and employer-led approaches to construction training.
In my own department, we are encouraging greater use of Modern Methods of Construction to increase productivity in housebuilding and reduce our reliance on traditional building skills. We are providing financial support through the Home Building Fund and working with lenders to overcome their concerns. We will ensure that our stakeholders have the opportunity to put their concerns about a future migration model to the Home Office.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of long-term rental units in London that have changed to become short term or holiday lets in the last five years; and how they plan to encourage private landlords to provide more housing for people seeking long term accommodation.
Answered by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth
As part of the Autumn Budget statement, it was announced that the Government will consult on ways to overcome the barriers landlords can face in offering longer, more secure tenancies to those tenants who want them. We do not have an estimate of those long-term rental units in London that have changed to or are additionally used for short term or holiday lets in the last five years.
Asked by: Baroness Gardner of Parkes (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of jury service on the availability of GPs; and whether the Department of Health has any plans to request that the Ministry of Justice exempt GPs from jury service from where there is a shortage of NHS provision.
Answered by Lord O'Shaughnessy
As independent contractors, it is for individual general practitioner (GP) practices to ensure their registered patients continue to have access to primary medical services where a GP is absent on jury service.
The Department has no plans to request an exemption from jury service for GPs.