Moved by

Baroness Andrews

23: Clause 36, page 29, line 29, at end insert “and has effect subject to section (LRHUDA 1993: Non-development guarantee)”

Member's explanatory statement

This amendment is related to another amendment in the name of Baroness Andrews inserting a new Clause (LRHUDA 1993: Non-development Guarantee).

Moved by

Baroness Andrews

23: Clause 36, page 29, line 29, at end insert “and has effect subject to section (LRHUDA 1993: Non-development guarantee)”

Member's explanatory statement

This amendment is related to another amendment in the name of Baroness Andrews inserting a new Clause (LRHUDA 1993: Non-development Guarantee).

My Lords, in moving this amendment I shall also speak to Amendment 24. These might seem to be rather arcane amendments; Amendment 23 is a technical amendment and Amendment 24 is the substantial point and a proposed new clause. This might look like an arcane point but it is a...

My Lords, in moving this amendment I shall also speak to Amendment 24. These might seem to be rather arcane amendments; Amendment 23 is a technical amendment and Amendment 24 is the substantial point and a proposed new clause. This might look like an arcane point but it is a...

I am extremely grateful to everyone who has supported the amendment, especially the noble Baroness on my Front Bench. I am also particularly grateful to the Minister. I understood her to say that the Government are committed to bringing forward a workable scheme to deal with this problem, which is...

I am extremely grateful to everyone who has supported the amendment, especially the noble Baroness on my Front Bench. I am also particularly grateful to the Minister. I understood her to say that the Government are committed to bringing forward a workable scheme to deal with this problem, which is...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, who has been indefatigable in his pursuit of justice and improvements to the leasehold system. The Minister is going to have a huge amount of help to improve the Bill; she has already heard from the noble Lord,...

My Lords, it is a great pleasure to follow the noble Lord, who has been indefatigable in his pursuit of justice and improvements to the leasehold system. The Minister is going to have a huge amount of help to improve the Bill; she has already heard from the noble Lord,...

My Lords—

My Lords—

My Lords, I apologise to the right reverend Prelate. Can I press the Minister on the timetable? She said that she expects the Bill to be introduced before the end of this Parliament. Does she mean that it will be introduced before the election? It is not only disappointing that we have had delays but profoundly destabilising. For example, leaseholders no longer know whether it is safe to pursue enfranchisement or whether they should wait for the Bill. Another thing that has happened in recent years, with the extension of permitted development, is that there are blocks of flats with leaseholders held captive by freeholders who are pursuing upward extensions under permitted development, without the protection of law. These leaseholders do not even have protection in case they have to be decanted while building works

are going on. It is a very serious situation and it is accelerating. I would like the Minister to advise on that point.

My Lords, I apologise to the right reverend Prelate. Can I press the Minister on the timetable? She said that she expects the Bill to be introduced before the end of this Parliament. Does she mean that it will be introduced before the election? It is not only disappointing that we have had delays but profoundly destabilising. For example, leaseholders no longer know whether it is safe to pursue enfranchisement or whether they should wait for the Bill. Another thing that has happened in recent years, with the extension of permitted development, is that there are blocks of flats with leaseholders held captive by freeholders who are pursuing upward extensions under permitted development, without the protection of law. These leaseholders do not even have protection in case they have to be decanted while building works

are going on. It is a very serious situation and it is accelerating. I would like the Minister to advise on that point.

My Lords, I welcome the Bill although, as the Minister might expect, with some caveats. But I welcome the way in which he introduced it and the context in which he placed it. Four years after it was promised in 2017, a leasehold reform Bill has reached this House—and it...

My Lords, I welcome the Bill although, as the Minister might expect, with some caveats. But I welcome the way in which he introduced it and the context in which he placed it. Four years after it was promised in 2017, a leasehold reform Bill has reached this House—and it...

My Lords, it gives me great pleasure to join with other noble Lords in congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Morse, and my noble friend Lord Coaker on their wonderful maiden speeches. We look forward very much to hearing more from them. I must confess that I was a bit jealous,...

My Lords, it gives me great pleasure to join with other noble Lords in congratulating the noble Lord, Lord Morse, and my noble friend Lord Coaker on their wonderful maiden speeches. We look forward very much to hearing more from them. I must confess that I was a bit jealous,...

My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord German, for introducing this debate—and for the way he introduced it—and to the Minister for the time he gave some of us on Monday to express our concerns. He will therefore anticipate much of what I will say.

The Minister...

My Lords, I am very grateful to the noble Lord, Lord German, for introducing this debate—and for the way he introduced it—and to the Minister for the time he gave some of us on Monday to express our concerns. He will therefore anticipate much of what I will say.

The Minister...

Amendment 58 would potentially allow the levying authority to determine when to stop collecting and enforcing a BRS for a project it had abandoned. The reason we do not think the amendment is appropriate is not because we do not think levying authorities would behave honourably but because it assumes...

Amendment 58 would potentially allow the levying authority to determine when to stop collecting and enforcing a BRS for a project it had abandoned. The reason we do not think the amendment is appropriate is not because we do not think levying authorities would behave honourably but because it assumes...

I am grateful to everyone who has spoken in the debate, particularly to the noble Baroness for moving the amendment. As the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin, made clear, it raises complex issues. He took us through some of the most recent and longer-term history and put forward some challenges, which...

I am grateful to everyone who has spoken in the debate, particularly to the noble Baroness for moving the amendment. As the noble Lord, Lord Jenkin, made clear, it raises complex issues. He took us through some of the most recent and longer-term history and put forward some challenges, which...

I may have more than enough time but in terms of the Long Title, it is not so much for the Government but for the House itself. If the noble Lord will leave that challenge with me, I will certainly think about the scope and the issues that it would...

I may have more than enough time but in terms of the Long Title, it is not so much for the Government but for the House itself. If the noble Lord will leave that challenge with me, I will certainly think about the scope and the issues that it would...

It will extend only to BIDs where a BRS is in place.

It will extend only to BIDs where a BRS is in place.

I hope that I can satisfy the noble Baroness on this point. Amendment 59 would enable billing authorities to be able to recover the costs that they incur in preparing for the collection and recovery of BRS. Amendment 60 would remove the power for the Secretary of State to set...

I hope that I can satisfy the noble Baroness on this point. Amendment 59 would enable billing authorities to be able to recover the costs that they incur in preparing for the collection and recovery of BRS. Amendment 60 would remove the power for the Secretary of State to set...

Perhaps I may deal with the offset first and Amendments 51, 53 and 54. Linked to that is Amendment 55A, which relates to Crossrail. Amendment 52 has a different focus. It would leave the decision whether to have an offset to the levying authority, but proposes, as the noble Baroness...

Perhaps I may deal with the offset first and Amendments 51, 53 and 54. Linked to that is Amendment 55A, which relates to Crossrail. Amendment 52 has a different focus. It would leave the decision whether to have an offset to the levying authority, but proposes, as the noble Baroness...

I am very glad that the noble Earl had the opportunity to correct Hansard. I cannot imagine what his postbag from Swaffham and other parts of rural Norfolk has been like.

I am very glad that the noble Earl had the opportunity to correct Hansard. I cannot imagine what his postbag from Swaffham and other parts of rural Norfolk has been like.

Let me start by apologising if noble Lords did not receive hard copies. I was very glad that we were able to get it out in the time that we suggested we would on the Wednesday by e-mail, but I will certainly look into that. This has been an extremely...

Let me start by apologising if noble Lords did not receive hard copies. I was very glad that we were able to get it out in the time that we suggested we would on the Wednesday by e-mail, but I will certainly look into that. This has been an extremely...

The noble Lord has sketched out the context in terms of the difficulties that businesses are facing, like the rest of the country. I was pleased, for example, that we were able to deal with the potential 5 per cent increase on business rates. Businesses will be able to pay...

The noble Lord has sketched out the context in terms of the difficulties that businesses are facing, like the rest of the country. I was pleased, for example, that we were able to deal with the potential 5 per cent increase on business rates. Businesses will be able to pay...

I shall start with Amendment 50A, which seeks to put beyond doubt that when a ratepayer requests it, the levying authority may cancel its BRS. I am sure that the noble Lord knows that that is already covered in the Bill. There is nothing preventing a levying authority stopping a...

I shall start with Amendment 50A, which seeks to put beyond doubt that when a ratepayer requests it, the levying authority may cancel its BRS. I am sure that the noble Lord knows that that is already covered in the Bill. There is nothing preventing a levying authority stopping a...

I am happy to do so. I am sure the language is sufficiently flexible for it to be appropriate. I take the point that the noble Baroness is making, and I am happy to discuss.

I am happy to do so. I am sure the language is sufficiently flexible for it to be appropriate. I take the point that the noble Baroness is making, and I am happy to discuss.