Oral Answers to Questions

Tom Brake Excerpts

Monday 5th November 2018 Commons Chamber

[Mrs Wheeler]

I thank my hon. Friend for her question. The Government are very clear that unjust leasehold practices must come to an end. We have committed to banning new leasehold houses and restricting ground rents on future leases to a peppercorn. We launched our consultation on the details of these proposals on 15 October. I agree that this is an urgent matter, having read many of the stories of leaseholders facing high or doubling ground rents or struggling to sell their homes, especially in my hon. Friend’s part of the north-west. We will bring forward legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.

[Tom Brake (Carshalton and Wallington) (LD)]

Does the Secretary of State agree that one of the most effective ways to deal with rising housing costs and rising eviction rates is for councils to follow the lead of my council—Sutton Council—and build council homes, over 90 of which are about to come on-stream very soon?

[Mrs Wheeler]

I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his question, and I commend his council for doing that. My council is going to build 175 next year.