Show Search Form

Search Results

registered interest	true false
date	exactly: or between: and
answering body
answering dept id
answering dept short name
answering dept sort name
hansard heading
house id
legislature	pref label
question text
tabling member printed
uin
answer	is ministerial correction true false date of answer exactly: or between: and answer text answering member printed grouped question UIN question first answered answering member label
tabling member	label

Search

170956

registered interest
date	17/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Leasehold
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is the division of responsibilities in leasehold property between (1) lead lessees, (2) landlords, and (3) long-term residents who are either tenants or leaseholders.
tabling member printed	Baroness Gardner of Parkes
uin	HL3863
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 06/01/2015 answer text <p>The responsibilities of each party with a legal and/or financial interest in a leasehold property will be determined by the terms of the lease. This is the contractual agreement between the parties, and which may vary depending on the property concerned and other requirements.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 06/01/2015 14:41:45 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3596 label Biography information for Baroness Gardner of Parkes

170957

registered interest
date	17/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Flats: Overcrowding and Sub-letting
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action long-term tenants and leaseholders can take in the case of (1) illegally short-let properties in their block, and (2) over-occupation of small flats.
tabling member printed	Baroness Gardner of Parkes
uin	HL3864
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2015 answer text <p>Where a property is believed to be being sub-let illegally, including where an occupation limit is specified for the property which is being exceeded, tenants or leaseholders in the block should familiarise themselves with their tenancy or lease to determine what rights, responsibilities and obligations exist, and consider referring the matter to their landlord to take any remedial action that may be necessary in the first instance.</p><p> </p><p>Where a resident is concerned that a social housing tenancy has been illegally sub-let, they should report the matter to their local council to ask them to investigate the potential social housing fraud.</p><p> </p><p>Councils have a range of powers over housing standards, including unsafe or over-crowded accommodation. These are laid out in our guide for local authorities on dealing with rogue landlords.</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dealing-with-rogue-landlords-a-guide-for-local-authorities" target="_blank">www.gov.uk/government/publications/dealing-with-rogue-landlords-a-guide-for-local-authorities</a></p><p> </p><p>Residents should report such matters to the council if they are concerned about potential breaches.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 12/01/2015 17:23:43 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3596 label Biography information for Baroness Gardner of Parkes

170958

registered interest
date	17/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Leasehold
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action tenants living in flats which are part of a divided house can take where the relationship between tenants and leaseholders has broken down.
tabling member printed	Baroness Gardner of Parkes
uin	HL3865
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 09/01/2015 answer text <p>Where relations between tenants and leaseholders break down, which cannot otherwise be resolved amicably or by alternative dispute resolution, leaseholders are protected by the terms of their lease and the rights, obligations and responsibilities therein. These may include requiring the landlord to enforce the terms of the lease or tenancy in accordance with any obligations that they may have to do so.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 09/01/2015 10:21:01 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3596 label Biography information for Baroness Gardner of Parkes

170966

registered interest
date	17/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Council Tax Reduction Schemes
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether there was a cut in funding for Council Tax Support in 2014–15; and whether they have plans to cut funding further in 2015–16.
tabling member printed	Baroness King of Bow
uin	HL3873
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 14/01/2015 answer text <p>We provided £3.7 billion for localised council tax support in 2013-14 and 2014-15, and will be providing the same amount in 2015-16.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have also provided further central government funding for councils to freeze council tax again in 2015-16. Not only does freezing council tax help all council taxpayers, but it also helps keep down the cost to councils of local council tax support.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Spending on council tax benefit doubled under the last Administration, costing taxpayers £4 billion a year – equivalent to almost £180 a year per household. Our reforms to localise council tax support have given councils direct financial incentives to support local firms, cut fraud and promote local enterprise.Councils now benefit, via the falling cost of local council tax support, from positive action taken to reduce welfare dependency, increase employment and make work pay.</p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 14/01/2015 17:54:56 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	143 label Biography information for Baroness King of Bow

170069

registered interest
date	12/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Parking: Fees and Charges
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of the report by the RAC Foundation <i>Local Authority Parking Finances in England 2013/14</i>, what assessment they have made of English local authorities' income from off- and on-street car parking operations to ensure they are not making excessive profits.
tabling member printed	Lord Scriven
uin	HL3704
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/01/2015 answer text <p>The figures published by the RAC Foundation are based on data returns published by my Department. Council returns’ suggest that profit (“net income”) on parking services was £635 million in 2013-14. Penalty charge income from on-street parking was £343 million. The RAC Foundation observe that some councils’ operational costs have fallen due to greater efficiencies, overall gross income has increased; as a result, net profit has risen. Legislation and guidance is clear that on-street parking should not be used as a source of general revenue.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Unreasonable parking charges and fines push up hard-working people's cost of living. If parking is too expensive or difficult, shoppers will simply drive to out of town supermarkets or just shop online, undermining the vitality of town centres and leading to ‘ghost town’ high streets. This Government has rejected the last Administration’s policy of encouraging higher parking charges and aggressive parking enforcement, and is standing up for hard-working people and local shops.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are introducing a series of reforms, including:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>· Stopping the abuse or misuse of on-street parking CCTV;</p><p> </p><p>· Reforming operational parking guidance so it is less heavy handed with motorists, prevents over-aggressive action by bailiffs, positively supports local shops and clearly reinforces the prohibition against parking being used to generate profit;</p><p> </p><p>· Introducing mandatory 10 minute “grace periods” at the end of on-street paid and free parking, and looking to extend this to off-street municipal parking;</p><p> </p><p>· Implementing a new right to allow local residents and local firms to demand a review of parking in their area, including charges and the use of yellow lines;</p><p> </p><p>· Proposing a widening of the powers of parking adjudicators, and updating guidance so the public know when they can be awarded costs at tribunals;</p><p> </p><p>· Trialling a 25% discount for drivers at appeal stage, reversing the current disincentive for drivers with a legitimate case to appeal; and</p><p> </p><p>· Changing guidance so drivers parking at an out-of-order meter are not fined if there are no alternative ways to pay.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We have also recently updated the local government Transparency Code to increase information about local parking charges and the number of parking spaces, which we expect councils now to implement as required by the statutory code.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The measures on curtailing parking CCTV are contained within the Deregulation Bill, and I hope that noble peers will be supporting our measures at Report Stage in light of the figures in the RAC Foundation report.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 23/01/2015 14:42:19 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4333 label Biography information for Lord Scriven

169703

registered interest
date	11/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Garden Communities
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how their plans for new Garden Cities differ in comparison to the original concept.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL3690
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 18/12/2014 answer text <p>There is no difference. Our locally-led Garden Cities prospectus, published in April, offered a package of support to localities wishing to bring forward new high quality, well designed new communities which put the resident at the heart of planning. As stated in that prospectus, the Government does not wish to impose a set of detailed development principles on localities taking forward new garden cities, but will instead work with localities to support them in developing and delivering their own vision.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 18/12/2014 14:53:29 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

169704

registered interest
date	11/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Community Assets
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to review the protected period for Community Right to Bid powers.
tabling member printed	Lord Kennedy of Southwark
uin	HL3691
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 17/12/2014 answer text <p>Under the Community Right to Bid, the protected period ensures that if, after either an interim (6 weeks) or full (six months including the six weeks) moratorium has been triggered but where a sale to the community did not result, the same owner wishing to sell the asset will not be subject to any further delay as no further moratorium can be triggered in this period. In total this is an eighteen month period which would include within it the interim or full moratorium.</p><p> </p><p>Parliament agreed that this provision struck an appropriate balance between the property rights of an owner and the rights of the community. Post-legislative scrutiny for the Community Right to Bid will be taken forward over the next year and will be an opportunity to consider the efficacy of the right and whether the balance is right, including on this question.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon question first answered 17/12/2014 14:11:37 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	4153 label Biography information for Lord Kennedy of Southwark

169328

registered interest
date	10/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Holiday Accommodation: Greater London
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 8 December (HL Deb, col 1593–6), when the report of the full consultation results in respect of the Deregulation Bill will be published.
tabling member printed	Baroness Gardner of Parkes
uin	HL3614
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2015 answer text <p>The Government has stated its clear intent to use the Deregulation Bill to help reform the outdated provisions of section 25 of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973.</p><p> </p><p>Londoners who want to rent out their homes for less than 90 consecutive days, such as through a service like Airbnb, technically still have to pay to apply for planning permission from their council – something that does not apply anywhere else in the country. These provisions caused controversy during the 2012 Olympics, and are irregularly enforced by different London boroughs leading to confusion.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We want to change this archaic system by giving Londoners the freedom to rent out their homes on a temporary basis, such as when they are on holiday, without having to deal with unnecessary red tape and the bureaucracy of paying of a municipal permit. The internet is changing the way we work and live, and the law needs to catch up.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The measure will not allow homes to be turned into hotels or hostels – this would still require ‘change of use’ planning permission, and measures will be put in place to prevent abuse of such reforms or the permanent loss of residential accommodation.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Such reforms will benefit London’s strong tourism industry by expanding the pool of competitively priced accommodation, and allow families to earn some extra cash when they themselves go away on holiday.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Such reforms would follow changes introduced last year to make it easier for residents to rent out an unused home parking space to earn extra money, helping expand the availability of parking options for commuters and visitors.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are planning to publish the Government’s formal response to the consultation on the <em>Review of Property Conditions in the Private Rented Sector</em>; we will also publish details of our proposed approach to the detail of the underlying secondary legislation ahead of Lords Report debate on the enabling primary legislation.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL3615 HL3616 question first answered 07/01/2015 14:08:21 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3596 label Biography information for Baroness Gardner of Parkes

169329

registered interest
date	10/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Holiday Accommodation: Greater London
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 8 December (HL Deb, col 1593–6), which of the 32 London local authorities (1) were strongly against, (2) were not opposed to, and (3) supported, the proposals in clause 33 of the Deregulation Bill in their response to the consultation.
tabling member printed	Baroness Gardner of Parkes
uin	HL3615
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2015 answer text <p>The Government has stated its clear intent to use the Deregulation Bill to help reform the outdated provisions of section 25 of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973.</p><p> </p><p>Londoners who want to rent out their homes for less than 90 consecutive days, such as through a service like Airbnb, technically still have to pay to apply for planning permission from their council – something that does not apply anywhere else in the country. These provisions caused controversy during the 2012 Olympics, and are irregularly enforced by different London boroughs leading to confusion.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We want to change this archaic system by giving Londoners the freedom to rent out their homes on a temporary basis, such as when they are on holiday, without having to deal with unnecessary red tape and the bureaucracy of paying of a municipal permit. The internet is changing the way we work and live, and the law needs to catch up.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The measure will not allow homes to be turned into hotels or hostels – this would still require ‘change of use’ planning permission, and measures will be put in place to prevent abuse of such reforms or the permanent loss of residential accommodation.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Such reforms will benefit London’s strong tourism industry by expanding the pool of competitively priced accommodation, and allow families to earn some extra cash when they themselves go away on holiday.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Such reforms would follow changes introduced last year to make it easier for residents to rent out an unused home parking space to earn extra money, helping expand the availability of parking options for commuters and visitors.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are planning to publish the Government’s formal response to the consultation on the <em>Review of Property Conditions in the Private Rented Sector</em>; we will also publish details of our proposed approach to the detail of the underlying secondary legislation ahead of Lords Report debate on the enabling primary legislation.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL3614 HL3616 question first answered 07/01/2015 14:08:22 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3596 label Biography information for Baroness Gardner of Parkes

169330

registered interest
date	10/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Holiday Accommodation: Greater London
house id	2
legislature	25277 pref label House of Lords
question text	To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 8 December (HL Deb, col 1593–6), how they are ensuring that "all the points and concerns" raised by London local authorities will be covered in the guidelines and regulations relating to clause 33 of the Deregulation Bill.
tabling member printed	Baroness Gardner of Parkes
uin	HL3616
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 07/01/2015 answer text <p>The Government has stated its clear intent to use the Deregulation Bill to help reform the outdated provisions of section 25 of the Greater London Council (General Powers) Act 1973.</p><p> </p><p>Londoners who want to rent out their homes for less than 90 consecutive days, such as through a service like Airbnb, technically still have to pay to apply for planning permission from their council – something that does not apply anywhere else in the country. These provisions caused controversy during the 2012 Olympics, and are irregularly enforced by different London boroughs leading to confusion.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We want to change this archaic system by giving Londoners the freedom to rent out their homes on a temporary basis, such as when they are on holiday, without having to deal with unnecessary red tape and the bureaucracy of paying of a municipal permit. The internet is changing the way we work and live, and the law needs to catch up.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The measure will not allow homes to be turned into hotels or hostels – this would still require ‘change of use’ planning permission, and measures will be put in place to prevent abuse of such reforms or the permanent loss of residential accommodation.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Such reforms will benefit London’s strong tourism industry by expanding the pool of competitively priced accommodation, and allow families to earn some extra cash when they themselves go away on holiday.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Such reforms would follow changes introduced last year to make it easier for residents to rent out an unused home parking space to earn extra money, helping expand the availability of parking options for commuters and visitors.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>We are planning to publish the Government’s formal response to the consultation on the <em>Review of Property Conditions in the Private Rented Sector</em>; we will also publish details of our proposed approach to the detail of the underlying secondary legislation ahead of Lords Report debate on the enabling primary legislation.</p><p> </p> answering member printed Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon grouped question UIN HL3614 HL3615 question first answered 07/01/2015 14:08:22 answering member 4210 label Biography information for Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
tabling member	3596 label Biography information for Baroness Gardner of Parkes