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

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Affordable Housing Commission Making Housing Affordable Again: Rebalancing the Nation’s Housing System, published in March; and what estimate they have made of the number of properties in which second home owners falsely claim to live to avoid council tax.

The Government agrees that we need to maximise the supply of new affordable housing and make sure that more people in housing need can have access to a good quality social home.? We announced at Budget 2020 that we are investing £12bn to build affordable homes between 2021/22 and 2025/26. This will be the biggest cash investment in affordable housing for a decade.

All second homes are liable for council tax, subject to any discounts which the council may apply locally, regardless of whether they are occupied. 95% of properties that are classed as second homes are charged the full rate.