Housing: Shared Ownership

Debate between Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth and Lord Young of Norwood Green

Tuesday 6th November 2018 Lords Chamber

[Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth]

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend. I was aware that it had been published. We are now looking at that and considering how to take it forward. It certainly looks at issues relating to land value and compulsory purchase.

[Lord Young of Norwood Green (Lab)]

My Lords, what are the Government doing to encourage community ownership, when it is still ownership but the land itself remains within the local authority?

[Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth]

My Lords, the noble Lord will be aware of community ownership proposals and policies relating to public houses and so on. I do not think he was getting at that, however; rather it was to do with residences. I will write to the noble Lord on that broader issue and copy it to the Library.

Local Housing Need

Debate between Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth and Lord Young of Norwood Green

Thursday 14th September 2017 Lords Chamber

[Lord Young of Norwood Green (Lab)]

My Lords, I was not intending to enter this debate but I want to make a couple of comments. On the point that was just made about local authorities apparently having enough reserves to build more social housing, even if they do, all those properties—given the Government’s formula—eventually become subject to the right to buy. They come back on to the private market and their prices rise to meet whatever the local circumstances are. If we look at the situations in some local authorities, the right to buy has become the right to buy to let for about 50% of those properties, with very large rents and a huge amount of housing benefit going to these private landlords.

What is the Minister’s view about the developments going on in a number of places? I read recently that, in Hackney, they are using what they call a community land trust, whereby the house may pass on but the land remains in the control of either the community or the local authority. Is this a way forward? It may not solve all the problems but it seems to me that it has a real contribution to make. Are the Government considering ways of encouraging this approach?

[Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth]

I thank the noble Lord, who I know has considerable expertise in this area. I am glad that he decided to contribute. He will know that we are looking at bespoke deals on social housing and a diverse range of ways to deliver housing—I have mentioned Leeds and the West Midlands, for example. I am aware of the community land trust option; I think it is an interesting one and, given that we are going for a diversity of approach, I am sure that in some situations it is entirely appropriate. It will be interesting to see where else that is being followed.

We are in close discussions with the London mayor. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State met him last week—there is a good relationship there. They discussed London’s needs on housing and, of course, we delivered a record-breaking settlement with the mayor of £3.15 billion, so much is being done in London. We accept that there is a great challenge on affordability—as well as design, which has been referred to—and we are grappling with this. I hope that noble Lords will agree that this Statement offers a way forward. It does not solve the crisis, as we are very keen to say, but it is an important contribution to it.

Renewable Energy: Solar

Debate between Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth and Lord Young of Norwood Green

Wednesday 14th October 2015 Lords Chamber

[Lord Young of Norwood Green]

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the recent collapse of Mark Group, a solar energy company, in the light of their decision to reduce the subsidy on domestic rooftop solar installations.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy and Climate Change and Wales Office (Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth) (Con)]

My Lords, we are currently consulting on revisions to the feed-in tariff for solar. The consultation ends next week on 23 October. I encourage anybody with evidence to submit into that consultation. Of course, any job losses resulting from the Mark Group going into administration are regrettable, as indeed are all job losses. I strongly sympathise with those affected.

--- Later in debate ---

[Lord Young of Norwood Green (Lab)]

I thank the Minister for his reply and declare an interest. This year I finally persuaded my local primary school, where I am a governor, to utilise a large area of flat roof to install solar panels; with the current feed-in tariff, the payback time for investment is about seven years—with, of course, a significant saving in the electric bill. Does the Minister appreciate that the proposed massive reduction in the feed-in tariff will cause many organisations and residential home owners not to install solar panels, with resulting job losses and company closures in an industry that is vital to our renewable energy programme? Why did he not consider a phased reduction of the feed-in tariff, as the industry suggested, which would have given solar companies time to adjust?

[Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth]

My Lords, I repeat that the consultation is still very much open. It is true that social housing and community projects—the noble Lord referred to a school—look to feed-in tariffs as a reliable source of revenue. That is why the review specifically seeks views on this. I encourage the noble Lord to feed in to that review and to others.