Former housing secretaries Angela Rayner and Lord Michael Gove are scheduled to give evidence to the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee on 3 March as part of an inquiry into the Government’s draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill.
The cross-party committee will question both former Secretaries of State alongside leasehold campaigners and representatives from the Residential Freehold Association during evidence sessions examining the proposed legislation.
Committee scrutiny sessions
The opening session will focus on strengthening leaseholders’ rights and addressing what witnesses have termed the feudal leasehold system. The committee is expected to examine proposals to cap ground rents, the implementation of Law Commission recommendations on leasehold enfranchisement, and privately managed housing estate charges known as ‘fleecehold’.
The regulation of management agents is also likely to be discussed during the sessions.
The committee has published correspondence from Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, responding to information requests from Florence Eshalomi, Chair of the HCLG Committee, to support the committee’s scrutiny of the draft bill.
Witness participation
The committee formally invited Grosvenor Property and TIME Investments to give evidence on 3 March. TIME Investments declined to appear but confirmed they will provide written evidence. Grosvenor Property has submitted written evidence and indicated availability for a future session, subject to committee agreement.
The witness schedule includes Catherine Williams OBE, Co-Founder of the National Leasehold Campaign, Liam Spender from Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, Harry Scoffin, Founder of Free Leaseholders, Halima Ali from HorNets – Home Owners Rights Network, and Charmaine McQueen-Prince, Chair of the Leasehold Reform Subcommittee at the Residential Freehold Association.
Legislative implications
The inquiry comes as the government progresses draft legislation aimed at reforming the leasehold system in England and Wales. The reforms could affect millions of leaseholders and have implications for property investors and developers operating in the residential sector.