Asked by: Sarah Gibson (Liberal Democrat - Chippenham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what mechanisms exist for residents to report breaches of the fit and proper person requirements (a) anonymously and (b) safely; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that those mechanisms are effective.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The fit and proper person test, which applies to a site owner or the person appointed to manage a park homes site, is aimed at ensuring that those managing park home sites are competent to do so. Local authorities are responsible for assessing this test and enforcing against breaches of the legislation.
Anyone who has concerns about a site owner’s conduct or capability should contact the local authority. Concerns can be shared anonymously in writing or by phone, however it is for each authority to decide how they treat anonymous reports.
If, after a person has been included in the register, new evidence relevant to the person's inclusion in the register becomes available, the local authority may decide to remove them from the register or impose additional conditions that must be met to retain their entry on the register.
Where properly applied by local authorities, the fit and proper person legislation has been shown to be effective. We will continue to monitor its operation and consider whether any changes are required.
Asked by: Leigh Ingham (Labour - Stafford)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 6 November 2024 to Question 11995 on Park Homes: Sales, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of removing the 10 percent commission on the sale of park homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 44299 on 16 April 2025.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of extending eligibility for energy support schemes to residential park home residents who are not connected to the gas grid.
Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Warm Home Discount provides a £150 rebate off energy bills to eligible low-income households through their electricity supplier. As residential park home residents usually do not have a domestic electricity supplier, they are unable to receive this support. However, residential park home residents can apply for the £150 Charis Park Homes Warm Home Discount Scheme; the 2025/26 scheme will reopen in late August 2025. Following our recent consultation on expanding the Warm Home Discount scheme, the Charis Park Home Discount Scheme will not be changed.
The Government has expanded the Household Support Fund in England for a further year until 31 March 2026 with an extra £742 million in support, with additional funding for the Devolved Governments through the Barnett formula. Park home residents struggling with their bills can contact their local authority to see if they are eligible for this support. The current Warm Home Discount scheme Regulations end in March 2026. We will consult on options for the next scheme period in the autumn.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent steps her Department has taken to improve consumer protections for (a) pricing transparency, (b) fair valuation practices and (c) the treatment of homeowners during resale transactions for residential park home buyers .
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Mobile Homes Act 1983 sets out the contractual obligations for park home residents and site owners and the processes for buying and selling park homes. The Act also bans the use of certain site rules including those which prevent a resident from marketing or selling their home. If a site owner breaches the legislation or fails to meet any of their obligations, a resident has a right to apply to the First Tier Tribunal for a determination.
Additional protections for consumers purchasing goods and services are set out in consumer rights legislation. We are also continuing to support park home residents with free independent advice about their rights and how to enforce them, through the government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service.
The government is committed to improving the standards of park home site management and supporting local authorities to ensure site managers are fit and proper persons. We will continue to keep the effectiveness of relevant regulations under review.
We recognise that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home. The previous government published a report in June 2022 on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission. It can be found on gov.uk here. We will set out plans in due course to seek further evidence from the sector on the rationale for the commission.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made a recent assessment of the effectiveness of current regulations on residential park home site operators to ensure the (a) equitable treatment and (b) protection of residents.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Mobile Homes Act 1983 sets out the contractual obligations for park home residents and site owners and the processes for buying and selling park homes. The Act also bans the use of certain site rules including those which prevent a resident from marketing or selling their home. If a site owner breaches the legislation or fails to meet any of their obligations, a resident has a right to apply to the First Tier Tribunal for a determination.
Additional protections for consumers purchasing goods and services are set out in consumer rights legislation. We are also continuing to support park home residents with free independent advice about their rights and how to enforce them, through the government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service.
The government is committed to improving the standards of park home site management and supporting local authorities to ensure site managers are fit and proper persons. We will continue to keep the effectiveness of relevant regulations under review.
We recognise that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home. The previous government published a report in June 2022 on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission. It can be found on gov.uk here. We will set out plans in due course to seek further evidence from the sector on the rationale for the commission.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the effectiveness of existing consumer protections of residential park home owners.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Mobile Homes Act 1983 sets out the contractual obligations for park home residents and site owners and the processes for buying and selling park homes. The Act also bans the use of certain site rules including those which prevent a resident from marketing or selling their home. If a site owner breaches the legislation or fails to meet any of their obligations, a resident has a right to apply to the First Tier Tribunal for a determination.
Additional protections for consumers purchasing goods and services are set out in consumer rights legislation. We are also continuing to support park home residents with free independent advice about their rights and how to enforce them, through the government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service.
The government is committed to improving the standards of park home site management and supporting local authorities to ensure site managers are fit and proper persons. We will continue to keep the effectiveness of relevant regulations under review.
We recognise that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home. The previous government published a report in June 2022 on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission. It can be found on gov.uk here. We will set out plans in due course to seek further evidence from the sector on the rationale for the commission.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will commission a review of the (a) fairness, (b) transparency and (c) compliance with consumer protection standards of the (i) resale, (ii) marketing and (iii) contractual arrangement practices of residential park home site operators.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Mobile Homes Act 1983 sets out the contractual obligations for park home residents and site owners and the processes for buying and selling park homes. The Act also bans the use of certain site rules including those which prevent a resident from marketing or selling their home. If a site owner breaches the legislation or fails to meet any of their obligations, a resident has a right to apply to the First Tier Tribunal for a determination.
Additional protections for consumers purchasing goods and services are set out in consumer rights legislation. We are also continuing to support park home residents with free independent advice about their rights and how to enforce them, through the government-funded Leasehold Advisory Service.
The government is committed to improving the standards of park home site management and supporting local authorities to ensure site managers are fit and proper persons. We will continue to keep the effectiveness of relevant regulations under review.
We recognise that there are longstanding concerns about the requirement to pay site owners a commission upon sale of a park home. The previous government published a report in June 2022 on the impact of a change in the maximum park home sale commission. It can be found on gov.uk here. We will set out plans in due course to seek further evidence from the sector on the rationale for the commission.
Asked by: Andrew Snowden (Conservative - Fylde)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if she will take steps to improve access to legal aid for residential park home residents involved in disputes with site owners.
Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The statutory framework governing the provision of legal aid is set out in the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, and its supporting secondary legislation.
Legal aid is available for possession, homelessness and disrepair claims (when there is a serious risk of illness or injury) subject to a financial means and a merits test. Legal aid is additionally available for people facing the loss of their home on a non-means tested basis through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service. Legal aid is also generally in scope for judicial reviews that have the potential to produce a benefit for the individual, a member of their family, or the environment. Proceedings related to consumer law are not in scope of legal aid.
Where an issue falls outside the scope of legal aid, individuals can apply for Exceptional Case Funding (ECF), which will be granted where they can show that failure to provide legal aid will risk breaching their human rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. ECF applications are considered by the Legal Aid Agency on an individual basis and are subject to the individual qualifying on means and merits testing.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much (a) her Department and (b) its contractors have spent on the rent or lease of (i) caravan and mobile homes and (ii) park homes for housing asylum seekers since July 2024.
Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
Zero.
Asked by: Lee Dillon (Liberal Democrat - Newbury)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to reverse the 10 per cent commission charge on the sale of park homes.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 44299 on 16 April 2025.