Leasehold: Property Management Companies

Debate between Baroness Penn and Baroness Butler-Sloss

Monday 19th February 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

I can. The Government have consulted on a range of options to reform existing ground rents, having legislated in 2022 to set all new ground rents at a peppercorn rate. Following the outcome of that consultation, we aim to legislate in the current Bill before Parliament. As I say, not only will we give leaseholders greater rights to transparency on what service charges are charged for, to ensure that they are reasonable, but we are changing the cost regime in the courts so they can challenge those charges where they think they are unreasonable.

[Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB)]

My Lords, I have a friend who is trying to sell their flat in London. The managing agents took so long to respond to the requirement that they consented that the purchasers went away. Will this Bill do any good for that situation?

Housing: Accessibility Standards

Debate between Baroness Penn and Baroness Butler-Sloss

Monday 5th February 2024 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

One of the ways we will signal and have signalled the importance of this to local authorities is through the update to the National Planning Policy Framework. It was updated in December 2023 to include a specific expectation that when planning housing for older people, particular regard is given to retirement housing, housing with care and care homes. So, we are already taking action.

[Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB)]

My Lords, why is there no requirement to have solar panels on new buildings, particularly houses? Around me in Devon, thousands of houses are being built, not one of which has a solar panel. I should declare that I have had solar panels on my roof since 2009.

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

As I said, we had the interim uplift to energy efficiency standards in 2021, and we have just started a consultation on the future homes standard. That sets out two models that could achieve the standard, one with solar panels and one without. The reality is that the Government have focused on the outcomes that need to be achieved and can be achieved by a number of technologies. Those outcomes are consistent with our net zero commitments and targets, and we are committed to taking them forward.

Local Government Finance

Debate between Baroness Penn and Baroness Butler-Sloss

Tuesday 21st November 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

My Lords, as I have said, my department is working closely with the Home Office and local authorities on this issue. Local authorities have already moved thousands of families out of bridging accommodation and into long-term accommodation. We are also providing £750 million to the local authority housing fund, which is being used to buy or create new housing stock to accommodate, for example, Ukrainian and Afghan refugees who have been offered refuge here and now need somewhere to move on to. But it will also help to improve temporary accommodation for families owed a homelessness duty. That is an example of some of the longer-term action that we are seeking to take to alleviate some of these pressures.

[Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB)]

Are the Government thinking of supporting prefab houses, and if not, why not?

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

My Lords, the Government are a big supporter of modern methods of construction, which I think is the broad equivalent of prefab houses. We seek to see more houses built using those methods of construction. As the noble and learned Baroness knows, it can be a very efficient way in which to produce new homes.

Home Office: ODA-funded Support

Debate between Baroness Penn and Baroness Butler-Sloss

Tuesday 5th September 2023 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

My Lords, that Act is only in the process of being brought into force but it is an important part of our approach to reducing the pressures of illegal migration, so that we can better address the needs of legitimate asylum claims in this country.

[Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB)]

My Lords, following the previous question, how will the Act, when it is implemented, stop the boat people?

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

My Lords, by ending illegal entry as a route to claim asylum in the UK, we will change incentives for those who wish to enter the UK by that route, but it is not the only action that the Government are taking. We are working closely with law enforcement in France; we have a number of other initiatives upstream that are all aimed at tackling this problem, and we have seen that small boat arrivals to the UK are down by 20% this year.

Cross-Government Policy to Strengthen Families

Debate between Baroness Penn and Baroness Butler-Sloss

Wednesday 18th November 2020 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

My Lords, as the noble Lord has recognised, the Government have taken action by introducing the Covid winter grant scheme for this winter holiday and then the holiday activities and food scheme. However, that is not the limit of the Government’s support to the most vulnerable families during the period of this pandemic. We have increased universal credit by £20 a week and the value of local housing allowance, which is £9 billion more welfare into the system. The analysis shows that those on the lowest incomes have received the most government help as a proportion of their incomes because that is where our concern lies during this pandemic.

[Baroness Butler-Sloss (CB) [V]]

May I ask the Minister to ensure there are sufficient resources to give appropriate help to children in households where there is conflict between the parents, both for counselling and for mental health support?

[Baroness Penn (Con)]

My Lords, I can reassure the noble and learned Baroness that the Government are putting in place this kind of support. We have put in place the Wellbeing for Education Return programme, which is backed by £8 million to support staff working in schools and colleges when responding to the additional pressures some children and young people may be facing during the pandemic, including spending time at home, where conflict may have been higher. We know that parental conflict is difficult for all involved, and that is why the Department for Work and Pensions has a £2.7 million fund to increase support for disadvantaged families at risk of parental conflict.