Oral Answers to Questions

Kerry McCarthy Excerpts

Monday 17th October 2022 Commons Chamber

[Mohammad Yasin (Bedford) (Lab)]

1. What steps he is taking to enhance private renter security in the context of the cost of living crisis.

[Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) (Lab)]

16. What steps he is taking to enhance private renter security in the context of the cost of living crisis.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Clarke]

We will bring forward reforms for renters when parliamentary time allows. What I can say in reply to the hon. Gentleman’s point about housing benefit is that we recognise that it is an extremely important and sensitive area of policy: that is why we have maintained local housing allowance rates at increased levels following the covid pandemic. We keep all these issues under review, and clearly this is something that we will be coming back to in due course.

[Kerry McCarthy]

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism looked at 363 properties in Bristol and found that in only one of them was local housing allowance enough to cover the rent. What is the Secretary of State doing to ensure that LHA keeps pace with market rents, particularly in places such as Bristol, where so many people are now being priced out of housing?

[Mr Clarke]

My colleagues across the Government and I continue to keep rates under very close review. We have maintained the heightened rates that were introduced in April 2020. I very much welcome all proposals that the hon. Lady brings forward about the situation in Bristol so that we can look at that in more detail.