Business of the House

Satvir Kaur Excerpts

Thursday 14th November 2024 Commons Chamber

[Lucy Powell]

I join my hon. Friend in recognising the forthcoming Youth Parliament and UK Parliament Week; I am sure we will discuss that on many more occasions. She is absolutely right to raise the issue of antisocial behaviour, which is a blight on our community. That is why, through our forthcoming crime and policing Bill, we will introduce new powers to tackle antisocial behaviour, shoplifting and off-road bikes, and put our neighbourhood police back in our communities, where they need to be.

[Satvir Kaur (Southampton Test) (Lab)]

Residents of Compass Point in my constituency are living in squalor. Water from the roof is being directed to the basement, causing regular flooding; loose pipework and wires are making the site unsafe; and raw sewage is seeping into the children’s play area. Does the Leader of the House agree that that is wholly unacceptable and that more needs to be done to hold to account freeholders such as BMR, their subcontractors, and lettings agents such as Leaders? Will she join me in requesting that they act swiftly and without delay to resolve the many, many issues that have been raised but not responded to?

[Lucy Powell]

My hon. Friend is right to raise these issues. As she points out, permitted development rights, which exploded under the previous Government, have given rise to quite a lot of poor-quality housing that is not fit for purpose. We are keeping the issue of permitted development rights under review, but we are strengthening the rights of renters with our Renters’ Rights Bill, and the rights of leaseholders with our leasehold reform Bill, which will both be concluding soon.