Business of the House

Gregor Poynton Excerpts

Thursday 19th December 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I congratulate my hon. Friend who, as a new Member in this House, has been one of the best attenders both in business questions and for many other statements. He has really got his feet under the table, so to speak. He raises the important issue of cyber-bullying. He will know that this Government are ensuring the effective implementation of the Online Safety Act 2023, and many of those measures are coming on stream in the coming months. A Westminster Hall debate on the subject is also likely to take place soon.

[Gregor Poynton (Livingston) (Lab)]

Livingston has a considerable issue with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in our public buildings, our social housing stock and many private homes, too. For the first two categories, remedies are being put in place, but the same cannot be said for private housing, such as that in Chestnut Grove in Livingston. People bought their homes in good faith and had them surveyed by reputable surveyors, but have now lost half the value of the property due to RAAC. Will the Leader of the House agree to a debate on possible remedies for homeowners in Livingston and beyond who are in this predicament, and the potential role of the private sector, local government, devolved Governments and central Government in remedying this situation?

[Lucy Powell]

I am really sorry to hear of the ongoing situation with the slow remedying of RAAC in homes and buildings for many of my hon. Friend’s constituents. He will appreciate that this is a devolved matter, but the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is engaging with the Scottish Government on respective approaches to RAAC, and I hope that that will speed up remediation soon.