Amendments proposed to the Housing Bill - continued House of Commons

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Amendment of the Mobile Homes Act 1983

   

Mr Hilton Dawson
Mr Bob Blizzard
Mr Bill Olner
Andrew George
Mr Edward Davey
Matthew Green

Dr Brian Iddon

NC29

To move the following Clause:—

    '(1)   The Mobile Homes Act 1983 is amended as follows.

    (2)   After section (1) there is inserted—

      "1A (1) Before the making of an agreement to which this Act applies the owner of the protected site shall give to the potential buyer a copy of the written statement.

      (2) The written statement shall be signed by both parties on the day of sale.

      (3) The implied terms of that written statement shall include particulars of the land on which the occupier is entitled to station the park home sufficient to identify—

      (a) the boundaries of the land on which the mobile home may be located; and

      (b) the services provided on that land.".'.


Local authority variation of right to buy discounts

   

Matthew Green
Mr Edward Davey
Richard Younger-Ross

NC36

To move the following Clause:—

       'The housing authorities may set the level of discount for right to buy and right to acquire schemes within their district.

      (1) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provisions relating to this Clause.

      (2) The housing authority may not exceed the level of discount as set down in regulations made by the Secretary of State.'.


The right to invest

   

Matthew Green
Mr Edward Davey
Richard Younger-Ross

NC37

To move the following Clause:—

       'Tenants of housing authorities and registered social landlords who hold secure tenancies shall have the right to purchase a portion of their property.

      (1) The tenant will pay a rent on the portion that is retained by the landlord in proportion to the landlord's share of the property.

      (2) The landlord will have the right of first refusal to purchase the portion of the property owned by the tenant.

      (3) The Secretary of State may by regulations make provisions relating to this Clause.'.


Empty homes

   

Mr John Hayes
Mr Robert Syms [R]
Mr Mark Field

NC39

To move the following Clause:—

    '(1)   In this Part—

    "empty home" means a property that has remained unoccupied for more than six months and/or has not been used for its intended purpose for more than six months.

    "intended purpose" means the use for which the property was originally built or a use as specified in building regulations issued as a result of successful application for planning permission.

    (2)   The Secretary of State shall, by regulation, introduce a national model for a voluntary leasing scheme for empty homes.

    (3)   A local authority will be able to serve an empty homes management order (compulsory leasing order) on an empty property as an alternative to enforced sales procedures and compulsory purchase orders.

    (4)   The appropriate national authority shall provide guidance to local authorities on:

      (a) the operation of empty home management orders;

      (b) appropriate training for staff for the effective use of empty home management orders;

      (c) appropriate staff numbers for the effective use of empty home management orders;

      (d) likely costs and budgeting of and for such a scheme.

    (5)   Each local housing authority must maintain and yearly publish an empty homes plan. This will consist of:

      (a) figures showing the number of empty homes within its area of jurisdiction;

      (b) figures showing the number of empty homes brought back in to use within the last 12 months within its area of jurisdiction;

      (c) its target for the number of empty homes that it intends to bring back in to use in the next 12 months within the area of its jurisdiction;

      (d) how (c) will be accomplished and how (a), (b) and (c) relate to its plans for regeneration and renewal for the area of their jurisdiction.

    (6)   This clause will apply to all homes that come under the definition of empty homes owned by housing associations, buy to let landlords and private owners.'.


Office of housing ombudsman for students

   

Mr John Hayes
Mr Robert Syms [R]
Mr Mark Field

NC40

To move the following Clause:—

    '(1)   For the purpose of the investigation of complaints made about landlords by students, there shall be an office of Housing Ombudsman for Students.

    (2)   The Housing Ombudsman for Students will be appointed by the Secretary of State.

    (3)   An appropriate code of conduct for the Housing Ombudsman for Students will be established by regulations by the Secretary of State.

    (4)   The Secretary of State will, by regulation, make provision about the investigation by the Housing Ombudsman for Students of complaints made about landlords by students.

    (5)   Regulations under subsection (4) will make provision about—

      (a) the matters about which complaints may be made;

      (b) the grounds on which a matter will be excluded from investigation, including that the matter is the subject of court proceedings or was the subject of courts proceedings where judgment on the merits was given;

      (c) the description of individual who may make a complaint;

      (d) a power of the Housing Ombudsman for Students to investigate any complaint made (whether the complaint is subsequently withdrawn or not), and, where he investigates, the making of a determination;

      (e) a power of the Housing Ombudsman for Students to propose alternative methods of resolving a dispute;

      (f) the powers of the Housing Ombudsman for Students for the purposes of his investigations (including powers to consult and co-operate with other persons), and the procedures to be followed in the conduct of investigations;

      (g) the powers of the Housing Ombudsman for Students on making a determination, which may include power—

      (i) to make recommendations as to action to be taken to remedy any injustice to the person aggrieved and to prevent any similar injustice being caused in the future,

      (ii) to make orders with regard to the payment of compensation or to order that a person is not to exercise, or require the performance of, certain rights or obligations, and

      (iii) to publish statements, or to make orders requiring the publication of statements, that a person has failed to comply with an order mentioned in sub-paragraph (ii).

      (h) the manner in which determinations are to be—

      (i) communicated to the complainant and the person against whom the complaint was made; and

      (ii) published (with or without excisions).

    (6)   Regulations under this section may contain such supplementary, incidental, consequential or transitional provisions and savings as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.

    (7)   Regulations under this section may make different provisions for different cases or descriptions of case.

    (8)   Regulations under this section shall be made by statutory instrument.'.


Right to buy sales

   

Mr John Hayes
Mr Robert Syms [R]
Mr Mark Field

NC41

To move the following Clause:—

    '(1)   To monitor sales resulting from right to buy, local authorities will be required to formulate and publish publicly a yearly marketing plan for right to buy sales.

    (2)   The marketing plan will include:

      (a) figures on the number of properties sold through the right to buy scheme in the last 12 months;

      (b) a target figure for the number of properties to be sold through the right to buy scheme in the coming 12 months;

      (c) plans for how to achieve (b).'.


Disability housing registers

   

Matthew Green
Mr Edward Davey
Richard Younger-Ross

NC42

To move the following Clause:—

    'In the Housing Act 1996 (c. 52) after section 167 (2E), insert—

          "(2F)   Subject to subsection (2), the scheme may contain provision for the creation of a disability housing register.

             A disability housing register consists of—

          (a) a register or database of existing or planned accessible residential properties in the local authority area, whether purpose built or adapted, with details of the access features relating to each property,

          (b) a register or database of disabled people who require accessible housing,

          (c) a service of matching disabled people to properties so recorded.

             For the purposes of this section "accessible residential properties" means dwellings, flats and houses in multiple occupation in England and Wales which provide a reasonable means of access and ease of use for disabled people or which may easily be adapted to provide such access and ease of use.

             The appropriate national authority may give guidance to local housing authorities about exercising their functions under this section.

             A local housing authority shall have regard to any guidance for the time being given under this section.".'.


Standards in social housing

   

Dr Brian Iddon

NC43

To move the following Clause:—

    '(1)   The Secretary of State shall ensure that all social housing will by 2016 and as far as is reasonably practicable have insulation and heating and ventilation standards that are at least equivalent to that required in newly built homes by the Building Regulations for the time being.

    (2)   For the avoidance of doubt the standards referred to above shall include the following provisions in the following circumstances, namely that:

      (a) in the case of properties with reasonable access to a loft the standard should specify a minimum loft installation of 200mm; and

      (b) in the case of properties with cavity wall the standard should require that the cavity be insulated; and

      (c) any hot water tank must be adequately insulated; and

      (d) there must be a heating system that is economical and efficient and which is capable of heating the whole dwelling to a comfortable level in normal weather conditions at a cost that is affordable to the occupant; and

      (e) in the case of properties with solid walls and no loft space any such house must achieve a SAP rating of no lower than 60.

    (3)   In this section "social housing" means housing let by a registered social landlord or a local housing authority.'.



 
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Prepared 24 Feb 2004