Lords committee stage fourteenth day. Clauses 176 to 203 agreed to. Schedules 16 and 17 agreed to. New clauses agreed to. Clause 204 disagreed to. Clause 205 agreed to as amended. Clause 206 disagreed to. Clause 207 agreed to as amended. New clause agreed to. Clauses 208 and 209 agreed to as amended. Clauses 210 to 212 agreed to. Schedule 18 agreed to. Clause 213 agreed to. Clause 214 agreed to as amended. New clauses agreed to.

Lords committee stage fourteenth day. Clauses 176 to 203 agreed to. Schedules 16 and 17 agreed to. New clauses agreed to. Clause 204 disagreed to. Clause 205 agreed to as amended. Clause 206 disagreed to. Clause 207 agreed to as amended. New clause agreed to. Clauses 208 and 209 agreed...

Moved by

Baroness Hayman of Ullock

415: Clause 176, page 222, line 14, at end insert—

“(2A) Designations under subsections (1) and (2) may only be made following consultation with the local community.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would require designation of a high street or town centre to be consulted upon.

Moved by

Baroness Hayman of Ullock

415: Clause 176, page 222, line 14, at end insert—

“(2A) Designations under subsections (1) and (2) may only be made following consultation with the local community.”

Member’s explanatory statement

This amendment would require designation of a high street or town centre to be consulted upon.

My Lords, before I start, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Fox, for all his work on the REUL Bill, on behalf of my noble friend Lady Chapman.

Welcome back to the levelling-up Bill. We have a large number of amendments in this first group today. They address vacant high street...

My Lords, before I start, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Fox, for all his work on the REUL Bill, on behalf of my noble friend Lady Chapman.

Welcome back to the levelling-up Bill. We have a large number of amendments in this first group today. They address vacant high street...

My Lords, I draw attention to my amendment, co-signed by the noble Lord, Lord Thurlow—and I am very grateful to him for doing so. The amendment is to Clause 178(4).

Clause 178 is dealing with the vacancy condition, which is one of the conditions for permitting letting or rental auctions by...

My Lords, I draw attention to my amendment, co-signed by the noble Lord, Lord Thurlow—and I am very grateful to him for doing so. The amendment is to Clause 178(4).

Clause 178 is dealing with the vacancy condition, which is one of the conditions for permitting letting or rental auctions by...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Etherton, for identifying what I believe to be an unintended consequence in connection with the proposed forced auctions of high street property. I am pleased to add my name in support of Amendment 418.

Following many years of practice...

My Lords, I am grateful to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Etherton, for identifying what I believe to be an unintended consequence in connection with the proposed forced auctions of high street property. I am pleased to add my name in support of Amendment 418.

Following many years of practice...

My Lords, I rise to speak to Amendment 426 in my name. I start by declaring an erstwhile interest as a former property manager of retail premises. It had a high street address, but the main shopping area had ceased to be in the high street some 30 years prior...

My Lords, I rise to speak to Amendment 426 in my name. I start by declaring an erstwhile interest as a former property manager of retail premises. It had a high street address, but the main shopping area had ceased to be in the high street some 30 years prior...

My Lords, I apologise that I have not been in Committee in recent sessions; I had amendments on housing. I have discovered that, as a non-affiliated Peer, it is difficult to organise the division of labour when there are so many hefty Bills going through the House.

I have a particular...

My Lords, I apologise that I have not been in Committee in recent sessions; I had amendments on housing. I have discovered that, as a non-affiliated Peer, it is difficult to organise the division of labour when there are so many hefty Bills going through the House.

I have a particular...

My Lords, I apologise to the Committee: I should have disclosed before I spoke that I have an interest as the owner of high street retail premises.

My Lords, I apologise to the Committee: I should have disclosed before I spoke that I have an interest as the owner of high street retail premises.

My Lords, there is so much that can be said regarding high streets that is very well evidenced, and in fact there is consensus about what does and does not work. Our concern on these Benches is that the various measures in the Bill, even when combined—it is important to...

My Lords, there is so much that can be said regarding high streets that is very well evidenced, and in fact there is consensus about what does and does not work. Our concern on these Benches is that the various measures in the Bill, even when combined—it is important to...

My Lords, I start by addressing Amendments 415, 416 and 417 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor of Stevenage. Clause 176 sets out the criteria and conditions that must be met before high street or town centre designation can be made. Local authorities are uniquely placed to...

My Lords, I start by addressing Amendments 415, 416 and 417 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Taylor of Stevenage. Clause 176 sets out the criteria and conditions that must be met before high street or town centre designation can be made. Local authorities are uniquely placed to...

I apologise to the Minister for interrupting, but before she sits down, can she address this point? One of the key arguments made—in that group of amendments to which the noble Baroness referred—by the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman of Ullock, and by myself and my noble friends Lord Shipley and...

I apologise to the Minister for interrupting, but before she sits down, can she address this point? One of the key arguments made—in that group of amendments to which the noble Baroness referred—by the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman of Ullock, and by myself and my noble friends Lord Shipley and...

We are simplifying the issue of the high street. I have listened a number of times to what has been said about business rates, and I have explained how much the Government are putting in to supporting properties in the high street through the revaluation process, et cetera. The Government...

We are simplifying the issue of the high street. I have listened a number of times to what has been said about business rates, and I have explained how much the Government are putting in to supporting properties in the high street through the revaluation process, et cetera. The Government...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have taken part in this debate, which covered an important part of the levelling-up

agenda. I am just thinking about the Minister’s comments. A number of times she said that it was not appropriate to accept the amendment at the moment because...

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have taken part in this debate, which covered an important part of the levelling-up

agenda. I am just thinking about the Minister’s comments. A number of times she said that it was not appropriate to accept the amendment at the moment because...

Moved by

Baroness Scott of Bybrook

438A: Before Clause 204, insert the following new Clause—

“Power to require provision of certain classes of information

(1) Regulations may require the provision of information that is within the scope of a permitted purpose.

(2) So far as the regulations are to extend to England and Wales, the...

Moved by

Baroness Scott of Bybrook

438A: Before Clause 204, insert the following new Clause—

“Power to require provision of certain classes of information

(1) Regulations may require the provision of information that is within the scope of a permitted purpose.

(2) So far as the regulations are to extend to England and Wales, the...

My Lords, I am pleased to introduce government Amendments 438A, 440ZA, 440ZC, 440B and 440E, which provide clarity and certainty about how the powers relating to interests and dealings in land can and will be used.

First, the Secretary of State will have the ability to require by regulations the disclosure...

My Lords, I am pleased to introduce government Amendments 438A, 440ZA, 440ZC, 440B and 440E, which provide clarity and certainty about how the powers relating to interests and dealings in land can and will be used.

First, the Secretary of State will have the ability to require by regulations the disclosure...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for her clear explanation of the government amendments here. From what she said, it seems to me that there is a dual purpose to the amendments. One is contained in the section relating to national security, which I understand but I wonder why it...

My Lords, I thank the Minister for her clear explanation of the government amendments here. From what she said, it seems to me that there is a dual purpose to the amendments. One is contained in the section relating to national security, which I understand but I wonder why it...

My Lords, I will speak to Amendment 440A in my name. This amendment is intended to draw attention to a recommendation by

the Constitution Committee, of which I am a member, in its report on the Bill. Part 11, of which Clause 207 forms part, gives power to the Secretary...

My Lords, I will speak to Amendment 440A in my name. This amendment is intended to draw attention to a recommendation by

the Constitution Committee, of which I am a member, in its report on the Bill. Part 11, of which Clause 207 forms part, gives power to the Secretary...

My Lords, I have a couple of amendments in this group. We have heard that Part 11 sets out a framework for creating powers to require disclosure of certain relevant information relating to ownership and control of land in England and Wales, including transactional information. Of

course, if this is...

My Lords, I have a couple of amendments in this group. We have heard that Part 11 sets out a framework for creating powers to require disclosure of certain relevant information relating to ownership and control of land in England and Wales, including transactional information. Of

course, if this is...

My Lords, in response to Amendment 439 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman of Ullock, I confirm that it will be in the public interest for some of the information that is collected to be published. For example, we intend to publish data on arrangements such as...

My Lords, in response to Amendment 439 in the name of the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman of Ullock, I confirm that it will be in the public interest for some of the information that is collected to be published. For example, we intend to publish data on arrangements such as...

Moved by

Baroness Scott of Bybrook

438B: Before Clause 204, insert the following new Clause—

“The beneficial ownership purpose

(1) Information is within the scope of the beneficial ownership purpose if it appears to the Secretary of State that the information would be useful for the purpose of—

(a) identifying persons who are beneficial owners...

Moved by

Baroness Scott of Bybrook

438B: Before Clause 204, insert the following new Clause—

“The beneficial ownership purpose

(1) Information is within the scope of the beneficial ownership purpose if it appears to the Secretary of State that the information would be useful for the purpose of—

(a) identifying persons who are beneficial owners...