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Housing and Regeneration Bill

I would certainly be happy to look at the matter on that basis because I am keen to ensure that we do something about it. I am concerned that in the constituencies of my hon. Friends the Member for Islington, North (Jeremy Corbyn) and the Member for Regent's Park and Kensington, North, people are suffering—often the most vulnerable in society, for whom we need to do more—because of that problem. The provisions in the Bill help with that process as much as possible, and they help local authorities to provide flexible consideration on the ground, dictated by local circumstances. I take the point about existing leases, and I would be happy to meet the hon. Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes) to discuss it. On the hon. Gentleman's new clause 31, we all agree that leaseholders should have a fair deal when it comes to service charges, but we want to ensure that they contribute their fair share to those charges. That is why we have put in a place a system of safeguards and measures that make people aware of what they are taking on when they buy a leasehold property and that involve them in decisions about works to their property. Provisions in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, which were amended by the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002, already cover much of what is proposed by the hon. Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey. As the House will be aware, there are statutory requirements for all landlords, including those in the local authority and the social sector, to consult their leaseholders before carrying out works in their buildings and estates. Those requirements cover much of what is proposed in the new clause, including the requirement for landlords to give reasons for works, to provide details of works to leaseholders, to have regard to tenants' observations, and to obtain nominations for potential contractors. On that basis, I suggest that the new clause is not necessary. Amendment No. 145, which would amend section 105 of the Housing Act 1985, would introduce a duty for local authorities to seek the views of secure tenants when the Secretary of State was conducting a public consultation on housing management where a response was made by the authority. The amendment would require landlords to consult tenants on all national Government consultations that affect them when the landlord intends to respond. From the face of the hon. Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey, he appears to agree with me that that is unnecessary and an unmanageable burden, without any real benefits to tenants, especially given that we already have excellent and effective consultation procedures nationally. I therefore hope that the hon. Gentleman will not press that amendment. Let me deal with amendments Nos. 14 and 15, which the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire (Lembit Öpik) tabled. I want to consider Government amendments Nos. 40 to 43 at the same time because I believe that our amendments, especially amendments Nos. 40 and 42, would achieve the same thing. Government amendments Nos. 40 to 43 are designed to do three things. First, they would ensure that, when a landlord or tenant makes a request to the district valuer for a review of his valuation of a property for right-to-buy purposes, the request and the reason supporting it should be in writing. Secondly, the amendments would clarify that the determination of value can be reviewed only if the sale has not been completed. I suggest that that is almost exactly the same as amendments Nos. 14 and !5, which reflect a suggestion, as the hon. Gentleman eloquently pointed out, that the London councils' representative body made. I am glad that we can all agree on that sensible suggestion. Thirdly, our amendments are designed to ensure that, in the review process, which clause 290 introduces, the district valuer knows the date from which specified time limits are calculated. Clause 290 will allow district valuers to withdraw determinations of value and make new ones if they decide that their original valuation was factually flawed, acting either on their initiative or in response to a request from the landlord or the tenant. The aim is to make the right-to-buy valuation procedure more responsive to particular circumstances. At present, wrong valuations based on errors of fact cannot be corrected without court action. On that basis, I hope that the hon. Gentleman will—