Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Gregory Stafford and Angela Rayner

Monday 2nd November 2026 Commons Chamber

[Helen Hayes (Dulwich and West Norwood) (Lab)]

22. What steps she is taking to reform the leasehold sector.

[The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Angela Rayner)]

The Government will introduce the commonhold and leasehold reform Bill this year, marking the beginning of the end of the feudal leasehold system. We will continue implementing the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 as quickly as possible, and we will bring forward further legislation for the independent statutory regulation of property agents.

[Gregory Stafford]

I recently met constituents in Grayshott and Haslemere who face poor communication from managing agents, with little transparency on where the service charges and costs that they are forced to pay go. Meanwhile, Surrey and Hampshire are set to lose out under the Government’s funding review, leaving many of those same residents facing higher council tax bills. Will the Secretary of State finally tell us when the leasehold reform Bill will be published, and give a guarantee that any savings delivered through that reform will not simply be wiped out by the higher council tax bills caused by her Government’s funding decisions?

[Angela Rayner]

We promised that we would bring that legislation forward soon, possibly in time for it to be a Christmas present—you never know, Mr Speaker. Council tax went up every year under the Conservatives. They left local governments without the funds they needed; we have funded councils on the basis of need. We support the councils; the Opposition did not.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Gregory Stafford and Angela Rayner

Monday 9th June 2025 Commons Chamber

[Gregory Stafford (Farnham and Bordon) (Con)]

1. What steps her Department is taking to help prevent new unitary authorities from requiring exceptional financial support.

[The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Angela Rayner)]

Local government reorganisation will lead to better outcomes for residents and save a significant amount of money that can be reinvested in public services and improve accountability. It is for councils to develop robust, financially sustainable proposals that are in the best interests of their whole area.

[Gregory Stafford]

The rushed local government reorganisation means that Waverley borough in my area will be forced to join other authorities that are debt-ridden, such as Woking. What will the Secretary of State do to ensure that residents in my area do not pay a financial price for the woes of other authorities?

[Angela Rayner]

As set out in the invitation letters, and as with previous restructures, there is no proposal for council debt to be addressed centrally or written off as part of reorganisation, but the Government accept that Woking and Thurrock councils hold significant unsupported debt that cannot be managed locally in its entirety. We have committed to providing an initial amount of debt repayment support for these councils in 2026-27 ahead of the reorganisation. This is unprecedented Government support.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Gregory Stafford and Angela Rayner

Monday 20th January 2025 Commons Chamber

[Gregory Stafford (Farnham and Bordon) (Con)]

1. What plans she has to support councils with house building targets.

[The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Angela Rayner)]

The Government are supporting local planning authorities to facilitate the delivery of more high-quality, well-designed homes, but we know that capacity is a problem with councils and that is why we have also announced a £46 million package of investment to support capacity and capability in local planning authorities, including 300 new planners and support to local authorities with delivering their local plans and green belt reviews. We will also make changes to planning fees so that councils can recover the costs of planning applications.

[Gregory Stafford]

In Waverley and East Hampshire, housing targets from this Government are doubling. When my constituents move into those homes when they are built, the infrastructure and services are simply not there. By “services”, I do not mean a phalanx of civil servants to help them move house; I mean the schools, play areas, supermarkets and road networks. Will the Secretary of State come to my constituency of Farnham and Bordon to see where we need that infrastructure, so that she can understand the implications that her housing targets have for my community?

[Angela Rayner]

We know that we need infrastructure as part of our planning reforms and the mandatory housing targets that we have put forward, and this Government will make sure that that infrastructure is there. I would say to the hon. Gentleman that it was his Government who allowed speculative housing developments, who failed to meet their housing targets and who left people without the houses they desperately needed.