May we have a debate on the effect of the credit crunch and the lowering of house prices on leaseholders who bought their flats on large council estates? As I know my right hon. and learned Friend is aware, many of them are on low incomes and face huge bills...

May we have a debate on the effect of the credit crunch and the lowering of house prices on leaseholders who bought their flats on large council estates? As I know my right hon. and learned Friend is aware, many of them are on low incomes and face huge bills...

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that issue. Along with our hon. Friend the Member for Regent's Park and Kensington, North (Ms Buck), she has been a champion for the protection of leaseholders. Many people bought former council properties, but then, with the big investment in council estates following...

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that issue. Along with our hon. Friend the Member for Regent's Park and Kensington, North (Ms Buck), she has been a champion for the protection of leaseholders. Many people bought former council properties, but then, with the big investment in council estates following...

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to extending leasehold enfranchisement to NHS hospitals occupying sites on long leases; and if he will make a statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has given to extending leasehold enfranchisement to NHS hospitals occupying sites on long leases; and if he will make a statement.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What percentage of the total number of homes in private ownership is leasehold.

asked Her Majesty's Government:What percentage of the total number of homes in private ownership is leasehold.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they plan to review the law concerning forfeiture provisions in residential leases.

asked Her Majesty's Government:Whether they plan to review the law concerning forfeiture provisions in residential leases.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what steps the Government are planning to make it easier for buyers and sellers of leasehold homes and their agents to obtain information about service charges and other matters relating to the management of the property;

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what steps the Government are planning to make it easier for buyers and sellers of leasehold homes and their agents to obtain information about service charges and other matters relating to the management of the property;

(2) what assessment she has made of the merits of requiring management information regarding leasehold homes to be held by the Land Registry in the same way as information held about commonhold homes.

(2) what assessment she has made of the merits of requiring management information regarding leasehold homes to be held by the Land Registry in the same way as information held about commonhold homes.

Finance Bill. Committee stage fifteenth sitting (morning). Schedule 27, as amended, agreed to. Clauses 82 to 88 agreed to. Schedule 28 agreed to. Clause 89 agreed to. Schedule 29 agreed to. Clause 91, as amended, agreed to. Schedule 30 agreed to. Clauses 92 to 94 agreed to, with clauses 92 and 93 agreed to as amended. Schedule 31 agreed to. Clause 95 agreed to.

Finance Bill. Committee stage fifteenth sitting (morning). Schedule 27, as amended, agreed to. Clauses 82 to 88 agreed to. Schedule 28 agreed to. Clause 89 agreed to. Schedule 29 agreed to. Clause 91, as amended, agreed to. Schedule 30 agreed to. Clauses 92 to 94 agreed to, with clauses 92...

I am today laying amendments to the home information pack regulations to extend the temporary first day marketing provision, and to extend the temporary provision requiring HIPs to include the ““lease”” only and to ““authorise”” other leasehold documents, from 1 June to 31 December 2008. The temporary first day marketing...

I am today laying amendments to the home information pack regulations to extend the temporary first day marketing provision, and to extend the temporary provision requiring HIPs to include the ““lease”” only and to ““authorise”” other leasehold documents, from 1 June to 31 December 2008. The temporary first day marketing...

My right honourable friend the Minister for Housing and Planning (Caroline Flint) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. I am today laying amendments to the Home Information Pack Regulations to extend the temporary first-day marketing provision, and to extend the temporary provision requiring HIPs to include the ““lease”” only...

My right honourable friend the Minister for Housing and Planning (Caroline Flint) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement. I am today laying amendments to the Home Information Pack Regulations to extend the temporary first-day marketing provision, and to extend the temporary provision requiring HIPs to include the ““lease”” only...

I rise to support my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening). Her amendment makes a lot of sense, and I hope that the Minister will simply concede that. I am sure that the Government intend the tax exemption to be available only on the first sale-and-purchase transaction. The...

I rise to support my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Justine Greening). Her amendment makes a lot of sense, and I hope that the Minister will simply concede that. I am sure that the Government intend the tax exemption to be available only on the first sale-and-purchase transaction. The...

Current costs—far higher than any planned for by the Treasury—are such that the market is already sending dramatic signals to the wider economy. The amendment would be an important way for the Government to send the signal that they understood the burdens faced by rural economies and the important role...

Current costs—far higher than any planned for by the Treasury—are such that the market is already sending dramatic signals to the wider economy. The amendment would be an important way for the Government to send the signal that they understood the burdens faced by rural economies and the important role...

I am probably the first hon. Member to address the amendment whose constituency does not contain any remote rural parts.

I am probably the first hon. Member to address the amendment whose constituency does not contain any remote rural parts.

I shall take the intervention of the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Mr. MacNeil) before moving on.

I shall take the intervention of the hon. Member for Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Mr. MacNeil) before moving on.

The hon. Gentleman is right, and two separate costs are involved here. The first is the cost to the businesses, which are often marginal: for instance, although they have had a very good season this year, one of them may still not have made any money. However, the second cost...

The hon. Gentleman is right, and two separate costs are involved here. The first is the cost to the businesses, which are often marginal: for instance, although they have had a very good season this year, one of them may still not have made any money. However, the second cost...

I will be guided by you, Sir Alan. We wait with keen interest to ascertain whether the Conservative party has anything meaningful to say about reducing, for example, private car journeys. At the moment, it seems big on criticism—

I will be guided by you, Sir Alan. We wait with keen interest to ascertain whether the Conservative party has anything meaningful to say about reducing, for example, private car journeys. At the moment, it seems big on criticism—

That is a fair comment. It has many of the characteristics of one of the devolved Assemblies, but not all of them. It would also be fair to ask whether elected executive mayors, taking on a full-time role in managing a big city, could reasonably argue that they should be...

That is a fair comment. It has many of the characteristics of one of the devolved Assemblies, but not all of them. It would also be fair to ask whether elected executive mayors, taking on a full-time role in managing a big city, could reasonably argue that they should be...

The original explanatory memorandum to the statutory instrument excluded flats and maisonettes. So will the Exchequer Secretary confirm that, when she talks about flats, she means that flats and maisonettes are now included?

The original explanatory memorandum to the statutory instrument excluded flats and maisonettes. So will the Exchequer Secretary confirm that, when she talks about flats, she means that flats and maisonettes are now included?

I declare an interest as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. I do not understand why the institute and other organisations were put to the trouble and cost of becoming involved in a consultation that lasted for only eight weeks when I understand that the Government recommend minimum...

I declare an interest as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. I do not understand why the institute and other organisations were put to the trouble and cost of becoming involved in a consultation that lasted for only eight weeks when I understand that the Government recommend minimum...

Does my hon. Friend agree that we need to look at the changes against the new background that petrol at the pump has gone up to at least £1.10 a litre, of which a massive 70p is now tax and duty—far more than the Government planned at the time of...

Does my hon. Friend agree that we need to look at the changes against the new background that petrol at the pump has gone up to at least £1.10 a litre, of which a massive 70p is now tax and duty—far more than the Government planned at the time of...