Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the report by the Law Commission entitled Leasehold home ownership: buying your freehold or extending your lease published in July 2020.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
In 2017, the Government asked the Law Commission to review the legislation on leasehold enfranchisement. Following extensive consultation, the Commission reported back to Government in July 2020.
On 7 Jan 2021, Government announced measures that will make it easier for leaseholders to buy their freehold or extend their lease, with significant discounts for those trapped with onerous ground rents.
On 11 January 2022, the Government launched a consultation on a number of recommendations made by the Law Commission aimed at broadening the rights of leaseholders, and reinvigorating commonhold. The consultation closed on 22 February 2022 and we received over 2000 responses. We are currently analysing the feedback and we will provide a response in due course.
As part of our programme of reform for the leasehold system, my ministerial colleagues and I have met with a range of parliamentarians from both Houses as well as representatives of both leaseholders and freeholders, and we will continue to do so.
We are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this Parliament.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent discussions he has had with industry stakeholders on the Government's proposed reforms to the leasehold system.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
In 2017, the Government asked the Law Commission to review the legislation on leasehold enfranchisement. Following extensive consultation, the Commission reported back to Government in July 2020.
On 7 Jan 2021, Government announced measures that will make it easier for leaseholders to buy their freehold or extend their lease, with significant discounts for those trapped with onerous ground rents.
On 11 January 2022, the Government launched a consultation on a number of recommendations made by the Law Commission aimed at broadening the rights of leaseholders, and reinvigorating commonhold. The consultation closed on 22 February 2022 and we received over 2000 responses. We are currently analysing the feedback and we will provide a response in due course.
As part of our programme of reform for the leasehold system, my ministerial colleagues and I have met with a range of parliamentarians from both Houses as well as representatives of both leaseholders and freeholders, and we will continue to do so.
We are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this Parliament.
Asked by: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will hold a consultation with leaseholders and industry before bringing forward legislative proposals for reforms to the leasehold system.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
In 2017, the Government asked the Law Commission to review the legislation on leasehold enfranchisement. Following extensive consultation, the Commission reported back to Government in July 2020.
On 7 Jan 2021, Government announced measures that will make it easier for leaseholders to buy their freehold or extend their lease, with significant discounts for those trapped with onerous ground rents.
On 11 January 2022, the Government launched a consultation on a number of recommendations made by the Law Commission aimed at broadening the rights of leaseholders, and reinvigorating commonhold. The consultation closed on 22 February 2022 and we received over 2000 responses. We are currently analysing the feedback and we will provide a response in due course.
As part of our programme of reform for the leasehold system, my ministerial colleagues and I have met with a range of parliamentarians from both Houses as well as representatives of both leaseholders and freeholders, and we will continue to do so.
We are due to bring forward further leasehold reforms later in this Parliament.
Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to publish a Government response to the consultation entitled Reforming the leasehold and commonhold systems in England and Wales, published on 11 January 2022.
Answered by Rachel Maclean
We will provide a response in due course.
Asked by: Karin Smyth (Labour - Bristol South)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to give leaseholders the right to manage their properties.
Answered by Lucy Frazer - Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
Many leaseholders already have a statutory right to take over management of their properties, under the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002. Earlier this year we consulted on proposals that would give leaseholders living in buildings with up to 50% non-residential floorspace new rights to manage their property, and we will respond in due course. Legislation will be announced in the usual way.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when his Department held discussions with Welsh Government on a joint approach to legislation enacting the Law Commission’s recommendations for leasehold reform in England and Wales.
Answered by Lee Rowley - Minister of State (Minister for Housing)
The Law Commission published their recommendations for reform of leasehold and commonhold legislation in England and Wales in 2020. Officials from the UK Government and Welsh Government meet regularly on an ongoing basis to discuss the Law Commission’s recommendations and will respond to the remaining recommendations in due course.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to introduce legislation to Parliament as part of the second phase of their leasehold and commonhold reforms.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government has already made great strides with the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022, which came into force from 30 June 2022. We will bring forward the second part of our leasehold reforms in the next session of this Parliament.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 30 May to Question 6932 on Leasehold Reform, and with reference to the statement by The Minister of State, Home Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government of 9 June 2021, HOL Col 281GC, whether he still intends to bring forward the remaining leasehold reforms, which were recommended by the Law Society report of July 2020, in this session of parliament.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government is committed to creating a fair and just housing system that works for everyone. This includes our comprehensive programme of reform to improve fairness and transparency in the leasehold market. In the next Parliamentary Session, we will legislate to reform the leasehold and commonhold systems, helping millions of households genuinely to own their own home.
Asked by: Matt Western (Labour - Warwick and Leamington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what legislative steps he is taking to progress leasehold reform.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
This Government is committed to creating a fair and just housing system that works for everyone.
We have already made great strides with the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022, which will come into force from 30 June. The leasehold measures in our Building Safety Act will come into force tomorrow meaning that for the first time, qualifying leaseholders in buildings above 11 metres or with at least five storeys will be legally protected from extortionate building safety costs.
In the next Parliamentary Session, we will legislate to reform the leasehold and commonhold systems, helping millions of households genuinely to own their own home.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will commit to a deadline on bringing forward legislative proposals to assist existing leaseholders.
Answered by Eddie Hughes
The Government remains committed to creating a fair and just housing system that works for everyone. We have already made great strides with the Leasehold Reform (Ground Rent) Act 2022, which will come into force from 30 June 2022. This Act is the first part of major two-part legislation this parliament to implement leasehold and commonhold reforms. In the next parliamentary session we will legislate to reform the leasehold system, including by supercharging leaseholders' ability to buy their freeholds, helping millions of households genuinely to own their own home.