Speeches by Pennycook.

“It is a fair question. In the previous sessions I have seen, where other figures—including previous Secretaries of State—have given evidence, there have been a range of views on this matter. You understand, as I think the public do, that the shorter the transition on the peppercorn time, the greater the potential disru…”

“I might bring in officials to supplement what I am going to say, but, essentially, the bulk of the measure as we intend to take it forward is set out in the draft Bill. There are a number of remaining policy choices that we need to work through. We flagged a number of those to the Committee. Quid pro quo leases are a g…”

“Lots of their representations are public. We have had extensive engagement with a range of stakeholders, including investors. Caroline, you might like to come in on this.”

“I am not sure that is the case.”

“It is just a matter of common practice that I am not privy to the advice received by previous Government Ministers.”

“I don’t know whether anything has changed because I don’t know what advice was put to Baron Gove and the previous Government. We have taken advice that I received from officials, including legal opinion, and we have alighted on the policy intervention that we have. To expand on the point, as I said, the shorter the tra…”

“I do not think any further consultation is required.”

“Perhaps I did not explain myself clearly enough. There are a number of outstanding policy questions that we need to answer about how we design the intervention. I mentioned quid pro quo leases as a good example, which I think we flagged with the Committee. What do we do with those? The more complex the intervention bec…”

“There are a number of points. There is no immediate impact on freeholders’ income as a result of these reforms. Where freeholders have taken on very high debts, they will have time to renegotiate with their creditors to find an appropriate way forward. We expect all parties to act in line with their fiduciary duties an…”

“I will not be drawn on the legal advice that the Government have received. I would argue that in political terms, we are taking on those vested interests. Freeholders want to see no intervention on ground rents in terms of retrospective action. We are taking on those vested interests. Also, as I have argued, I don’t th…”

“Put very simply, because the Bill is already very large—it includes significant structural changes to the housing market on commonhold, on forfeiture and on ground rents—and we cannot deliver the whole of the Government’s commonhold and leasehold reform agenda in a single piece of legislation. As I made clear in my ope…”

“I will not be drawn on whether it will be dealt with in the draft Bill. We absolutely recognise the issue here. It is probably worth my setting out some of the background and thinking. Obviously, we are already taking steps to make enfranchisement cheaper and easier by implementing the reforms in the 2024 Act—I am sure…”

“Let me bring my officials in on the Law Commission. I should declare an interest, by the way, as my wife is joint chief executive of the Law Commission.”

“We intend to honour our manifesto commitments in this Parliament, as we made clear.”

“Let me give you a bit more clarity on that point, because I think it is useful. It is quite difficult to determine the number of outstanding recommendations from the Law Commission, because the 2024 Act departed from its recommendations for holistic reform of the leasehold and RTM regimes. Some of the recommendations a…”

“Okay, we will come on to that. They took a small number, so both the elements relating to the nature of the right to manage and the process issues in that report are far easier to deal with. Enfranchisement is far more complex.”

“As I set out in my November 2024 written ministerial statement, as well as in other places, we have made clear that we are committed to strengthening the regulation of managing agents—that is not an issue. They will play a key role in the maintenance of multi-occupancy buildings and freehold estates. Their importance o…”

“I feel that I am dominating the conversation, so I will bring my officials in and then supplement their answers. I can tell you how we break down the SIs.”

“I can provide my hon. Friend with the assurance that he seeks. Whether in the PRS or in the social rented sector, landlords should address non-decency wherever it exists. We are giving landlords until 2035 to implement our new decent homes standard, but we have made it clear that they should not wait until then to impr…”

“The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 received Royal Assent on 27 October last year. As per the road map we published in November, we intend to implement the new tenancy system it provides for on 1 May, at which point, among other things, section 21 no-fault evictions will be abolished, rental bidding wars will be prohibited, a…”