The Westminster lensArchive · Written questions · 25 tabled · 25 answered

Written questions by Powell.

Every parliamentary written question tabled by Joe Powell this session, with the full answer and department. See how every department answers, or back to the MP page.

Department:All (25)Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (7)Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (6)Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (2)Home Office (2)Treasury (2)Department of Health and Social Care (1)Department for Transport (1)Department for Business and Trade (1)Department for Culture, Media and Sport (1)Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1)Cabinet Office (1)

Showing 17 of 7 · Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

10 Jun 2026·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, when gambling impact assessments will come into force.

Reply

The Government will bring Gambling Impact Assessments (GIAs) into force in due course, and the Department for Media, Culture and Sport is currently considering what preparations and guidance will be needed for their introduction, to enable local authoriti...

1 Jun 2026·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, when he plans to bring the increase to the collective enfranchisement threshold for mixed use premises from 25% commercial to 50% into force.

Reply

The government’s intention is to commence Section 29 of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act alongside other enfranchisement provisions contained within it. To commence the Act’s enfranchisement provisions, we need to rectify via primary legislation a sm...

13 Jan 2026·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, when he expects to respond to the home buying and selling reform consultation.

Reply

On 6 October, my Department published two consultations outlining reform proposals to transform home buying and selling. They can be found on gov.uk here and here. Both consultations closed on 29 December. We are now reviewing the feedback received. Subject to the outcomes of the analysis being undertaken, we will publish a roadmap setting out further details of our reforms later this year.

15 Jul 2025·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, when she plans to consult on the valuation rates used to calculate the cost of enfranchisement premiums.

Reply

The 2024 Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act sets the method for calculating the price of a statutory lease extension or freehold acquisition, known as the valuation process. The Bill removes the requirement for marriage value to be paid, caps the treatment of ground rents in the valuation calculation at 0.1% of the freehold value, and allows government to prescribe the rates used to calculate the enfranchisement premium. Valuation rates will be set by the Secretary of State in secondary legislation, and we have made clear we intend to consult before determining what the rates should be. Last week the High Court heard challenges to some of the 2024 Act enfranchisement reforms. Leaseholders should be assured that the government is robustly defending those challenges. Following the outcome of the hearing, we will provide further update on the rates consultation. Once the consultation goes live, we want to hear views from a broad spectrum of stakeholders before making a decision, and we invite all who have an interest to feed these in.

15 Oct 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, when she plans to commence Section 64 of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.

Reply

The Government intend to act quickly to provide homeowners with greater rights, powers, and protections over their homes by implementing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. These include the provisions at Sections 49 and 64 of th...

15 Oct 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, when she plans to commence Section 49 of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024.

Reply

The Government intend to act quickly to provide homeowners with greater rights, powers, and protections over their homes by implementing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. These include the provisions at Sections 49 and 64 of th...

8 Oct 2024·Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government·Answered
Asked

Communities and Local Government, when her Department plans to respond to the consultation entitled Modern leasehold: restricting ground rent for existing leases which closed on 17 January 2024.

Reply

Over the course of this Parliament, the Government will further reform the leasehold system. We will enact remaining Law Commission recommendations relating to enfranchisement and the Right to Manage, tackle unregulated and unaffordable ground rents, rein...

Sources
SourceUK Parliament Members API
MethodQuestion and answer text as published. Question preamble (“To ask the…”) trimmed for readability; answers shown in full.