Summary

  • MPs debate private members' bills

  1. Labour MP: Tenants warned not to talk to me by landlordspublished at 10:36 British Summer Time 26 October 2018

    Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Emma Dent CoadImage source, HoC

    Labour MP Emma Dent Coad describes a ceiling collapsed in her former flat, which narrowly missed her young daughter's head and propelled her to take on the political issue of housing.

    The MP for Kensington, who represents the Grenfell Tower fire residents, says "disrepair and botched refurbishment can put people in mortal danger".

    Ms Dent Coad says that some tenants with unfit homes have been warned by their landlords that they won’t get help if they continue talking to her.

  2. What are private members' bills?published at 10:21 British Summer Time 26 October 2018

    PMBsImage source, UK Parliament

    Private members' bills are introduced by MPs and peers who are not government ministers.

    Their purpose is to change the law as it applies to the general population.

    There are three ways of introducing private members' bills in the House of Commons: the Ballot, the Ten Minute Rule and Presentation.

    Only a few private members' bills become law but, by creating publicity around an issue, they may affect legislation indirectly.

  3. Tackle 'repeat slum landlords' - Tory MPpublished at 10:03 British Summer Time 26 October 2018

    Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative MP Neil O'Brien says there is "incredible squalor" in some parts of the private-rented sector and he hopes this bill will empower tenants.

    Mr O'Brien says this bill will not be the "end of the story" and the means of enforcement to tackle "repeat slum landlords" must continue.

  4. Buck: three million live in 'unsafe' homespublished at 10:01 British Summer Time 26 October 2018

    Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Bill

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Karen MPImage source, HoC

    Labour MP Karen Buck opens the debate and says living in a cold, damp or unsafe home is "hell" and the stories she has heard from her constituents are “heart-wrenching” .

    Reading out some of the stories, she says three million people live in "unsafe" homes and describes tenants with ice growing in their bathrooms and with such bad damp it has given them and their children asthma.

    Ms Buck commends the "team effort" in getting the legislation this far and thanks the government and housing charities for their support.

  5. MP explains thinking behind the billpublished at 09:53 British Summer Time 26 October 2018

    Labour MP introducing the bill tweets

    This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    Skip twitter post

    Allow Twitter content?

    This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

    The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
    End of twitter post
  6. Good morningpublished at 09:44 British Summer Time 26 October 2018

    The House of Commons is sitting on a Friday which means MPs are here to consider private members bills.

    First on the order paper today is the Labour MP Karen Buck’s Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Bill.

    The bill would amend the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 to require that residential rented accommodation is provided and maintained in a state of fitness for human habitation.

    It arrives back in the Commons with the addition of a new "Grenfell" clause which extends its provisions to cover common areas of a building, like hallways and stairs, but it would also apply to, for example, dangerous or flammable exterior cladding.

    The bill has government support, including for the new clause, so it is expected to clear the Commons and head off for scrutiny in the Lords.

    HousingImage source, Google
  7. UK sorry for forcing DNA tests on immigrantspublished at 18:09 British Summer Time 25 October 2018

    The home secretary says people were wrongly forced to take tests to prove their right to be in the UK.

    Read More
  8. Today in the Lordspublished at 17:39 British Summer Time 25 October 2018

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    The debate on affordable housing comes to an end, and that's it from the House of Lords today.

    The day began with questions on public service broadcasting, antimicrobial resistance, the renewal of the Trident weapons system, and failures to meet passenger waiting time targets at Heathrow.

    After this, peers peers debated the case for a further EU referendum - which supporters are calling a "people's vote".

    Following this, Labour peer Lord Hain used parliamentary privilege to name Sir Philip Green as the businessman facing newspaper allegations of sexual harassment.

    The Lords return tomorrow from 10.00am, with debates on the Duchy of Cornwall, female genital mutilation and wireless telegraphy in prisons.

  9. Affordable housing debate endspublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 25 October 2018

    Affordable housing debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord Kennedy of SouthwarkImage source, HoL

    Labour spokesman Lord Kennedy of Southwark says it is important that barriers to building homes are reduced.

    He adds that housing co-ops could play a much bigger part in house building. He acknowledges that the government has moved on some issues.

    Housing minister Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth says: "this isn't something that has suddenly happened. This is something that has built up over time...We all share in some of the blame."

    He agrees with Baroness Bryant of Patrick that the way the Attlee government dealt with a housing crisis after WWII was "outstanding", but points out it is now a very different world.

    He says the government has "ramped up" protections for tenants and looked to encourage innovation in house building, expressing enthusiasm for the ideas shared by Lord Wei.

  10. Council housing renaissance 'much needed'published at 17:11 British Summer Time 25 October 2018

    Affordable housing debate

    Lib Dem Baroness Thornhill says residents feel that under the current system, landowners and developers have "too much control over what is built, and where".

    She says what is fundamentally needed is to get land into development at lower cost.

    She suggests funding a "much-needed renaissance" in council housing "would be very popular and much needed".

  11. 'Ten-fold increase' needed in social housing building ratepublished at 16:55 British Summer Time 25 October 2018

    Affordable housing debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Crossbencher Lord Kerslake says the term 'affordable' housing "has been a rather slippery concept".

    He says there is consensus "that housing has become increasingly unaffordable for too many people, and this must be tackled as a national priority." He adds that the only solution is to build more homes.

    The government's Help to Buy scheme needs to be more targeted, he says, and the government needs to "expect much more from the house builders who benefit from it".

    There needs to be "a ten-fold increase" of current social housing building rates, he says, with much more done by the government to encourage it.

  12. Today in the Commonspublished at 16:51 British Summer Time 25 October 2018

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat's adjournment debate on M26 Brexit preparations ends, bringing today's proceedings in the Commons to a close.

    The day began with Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab facing questions from MPs about possible delays and a second EU referendum.

    After this, shadow defence minister Fabian Hamilton asked an urgent question about the planned US withdrawal from the INF nuclear treaty with Russia.

    Later, Home Secretary Sajid Javid apologised to people who were wrongly forced to take DNA tests to prove they were entitled to settle in the UK.

    He told the House of Commons that some relatives of Gurkhas and Afghan nationals employed by the UK government were among those affected.

    MPs also debated a consultation on adding folic acid to flour to help prevent birth defects in babies, and a strategy for improving public transport for disabled people.

  13. 'Disabled people with appropriate housing more likely to be employed'published at 16:41 British Summer Time 25 October 2018

    Affordable housing debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Baroness Thomas of WinchesterImage source, HoL

    Liberal Democrat Baroness Thomas of Winchester calls for more housing suitable for disabled people.

    "It is important to note that disabled people whose housing needs are met are four times more likely to be in employment than those with unmet needs", she says.

    She adds that having appropriate housing can take pressure off other services.

    She urges an increase in the disabled facilities grant, which supports families wanting to make housing more suited to disabled people's needs.

    The issue is "very pressing," she says, and calls on ministers to "take what action they can take to tackle the problem as soon as possible".

  14. Call for 'imaginative solutions' to housing crisispublished at 16:36 British Summer Time 25 October 2018

    Affordable housing

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord WeiImage source, HoL

    Conservative peer Lord Wei says the UK has allowed itself "for too long" to be trapped in an isolated way of thinking about housing.

    He says warehouses, car parks, derelict land and partially empty homes are all opportunities for "imaginative solutions" to the housing crisis.

    "In the UK alone, raised interim housing solutions on top of car parks alone could create accomodation for 200,000 people," he says.

    "There is room for hope about the future of our country if we're prepared to think creatively. It's time we thought outside of the box".

  15. Minister: 'Communication failures' over M26 workpublished at 16:32 British Summer Time 25 October 2018

    Adjournment debate

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Jesse NormanImage source, HoC

    Transport Minister Jesse Norman says Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has apologised to Tom Tugendhat and his constituents for "communication failures that have occurred in this case".

    He says the work done to the M26 is a consequence of Operation Brock, designed to keep open the connecting M20 in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

    The M26 could hold 2,000 heavy goods vehicles, but would preferably be a second option for traffic after the currently disused Manston airport, he says.

    The M26 would only be used "if necessary in the event of disruption", he adds.

    "All plans will be finalised by March next year," he says, "but 40 meetings have been held with Kent groups on the issue to ensure they have been informed".

  16. 'Housing is a human right and not a luxury'published at 16:19 British Summer Time 25 October 2018

    Affordable housing debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Baroness Bryan of PatrickImage source, HoL

    Labour's Baroness Bryan of Patrick says "we know that we're capable of amazing achievements" when it comes to house building in the UK.

    She says the work of the Attlee government after World War Two - with Aneurin Bevan "tellingly" the "health and housing" secretary - proves that "once there is political will, a housing crisis can be dealt with".

    "Housing is a human right and not a luxury...democratically accountable local authorities are the best way of ensuring that local housing needs are met, rather than leaving this to market forces", she adds.

  17. Access to land 'biggest barrier' to home-buildingpublished at 16:12 British Summer Time 25 October 2018

    Affordable housing debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Baroness WarwickImage source, HoL

    Baroness Warwick says "for so many there is only a bleak future" when it comes to housing, and says the figures are "stark", citing a £24.2bn housing benefit bill in the last year.

    The "biggest barrier" for housing associations in building more homes is access to land, she says.

    The Labour peer says the current planning system and the "developer-led" model for new homes stand in the way of affordable housing being built.

  18. Kent MP leads debate on M26 Brexit preparationspublished at 16:09 British Summer Time 25 October 2018

    Adjournment Debate on M26

    House of Commons
    Parliament

    Tom TugendhatImage source, HoC

    The debate on transport for disabled people comes to an end.

    Finally today, Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat introduces an ajournment debate on plans to use a 10-mile stretch of the M26 as a lorry park as part of preparations for a no-deal Brexit.

    The Kent MP says the plan is "a surprise to us", adding that "one of the residents of Kent or local businesses have been consulted about this".

    He says preparatory work began "suddenly" earlier this month, with no information on road closures given, apart from that "central reservation works" were ongoing.

    He adds that he was told "a few weeks ago" that there were "no plans to use the road as a lorry park after Brexit", adding that he feels "let down".

    Mr Tugendhat suggests the government should "keep lorries at their source instead of parking them in Kent".

  19. 'Huge shortage' of affordable homes - Lord Shipleypublished at 15:57 British Summer Time 25 October 2018

    Affordable housing debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Lord Shipley opens the debate by telling peers there is a "huge shortage" of affordable homes, and a "huge backlog" in the demand for them.

    The Liberal Democrat peer says rogue landlords often ignore housing rules, which then "takes up resources locally and nationally".

    Lord Shipley says the government should introduce new homes at prices which are "genuinely affordable" to those on low incomes.

    "Nobody should be forced to spend a third of their income on housing costs", he says.

  20. Peers debate affordable housingpublished at 15:53 British Summer Time 25 October 2018

    Affordable housing debate

    House of Lords
    Parliament

    Affordable housingImage source, UK Parliament

    Peers are now debating affordable housing.

    The debate has been proposed by Liberal Democrat spokesperson for housing and former Newcastle City councillor, Lord Shipley.

    This is a general debate which normally takes place on a Thursday in the chamber.