Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the proposal to cap ground rents before changing to a peppercorn after 40 years in the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.

Through the draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill published on 27 January 2026, the government is proposing to cap ground rent at £250 per year, before changing to a peppercorn in 40 years.

We estimate around 770,000 to 900,000 leaseholders pay over £250 per year in ground rent and will save money this Parliament. Leaseholders across nearly 4 million properties pay a ground rent in England and Wales. We estimate they will save a total of £10-12.7bn over the policy’s lifetime as a result of this change.

For further information, I refer the Noble Baroness to the Written Ministerial Statement HLWS1278 on 27 January 2026 (attached), and to the Policy statement on ground rents (attached) published on that date.