Baroness Taylor of Stevenage — Hansard

Lords Debate 1 September 2025 7 contributions

My Lords, Amendment 72 in my name seeks to leave out lines 12 and 13 on page 22 of the Bill, removing the additional definition of “qualifying distribution agreement”. It is a straightforward technical amendment. Its purpose is to tidy up the drafting of the Bill by removing a definition that is no …

My Lords, it is reassuring to hear such a degree of consensus across the House that we all want to deliver the same thing from this—speeding up the connections process. I have expressed my frustration many times before in this House that it can take longer to get a grid connection than it did to bui…

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Lords Debate 21 July 2025 4 contributions

Renters’ Rights Bill

My Lords, once again I thank the noble Lord, Lord de Clifford, for all his thoughtful contributions and engagement during the passage of the Bill. Amendments 1 and 2 correct two cross-references in Clause 12 and Schedule 2 and follow on from Amendment 53A on Report. These amendments do not change th…

My Lords, I thank noble Lords for their contributions and engagement during the passage of the Renters’ Rights Bill. We have debated this Bill at length—passing the midnight hour on one occasion—over the past six months, with many thoughtful and considered contributions from across the House. I am g…

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Lords Debate 17 July 2025 12 contributions

Planning and Infrastructure Bill

My Lords, I thank all noble Lords for their engagement both at Second Reading and at our subsequent drop-in sessions and meetings. I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Pinnock, for Amendment 1, and my noble friend Lord Hunt and the noble Baroness, Lady Scott of Bybrook, for Amendments 2 to 7, making min…

I asked the same questions myself, because I suspected I was going to be asked them as part of the debate on this Bill. I asked what work had been done, prior to the Bill, on consulting more widely with the sector, the academics involved in this area and a number of other bodies. I would read it all…

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Lords Debate 17 July 2025

Planning and Infrastructure Bill

The letter went out yesterday on some of the issues that were raised at the drop-in. The noble Baroness may have missed that in her inbox, but it did go out yesterday.

Lords Oral Questions 17 July 2025 7 contributions

Commission on Antisemitism Report

My Lords, I echo the Minister’s thanks to the noble Lord, Lord Mann, for all the work he has done fighting antisemitism and for producing this really rather shocking report. Antisemitism, he says, did not increase because of Gaza. It was released from underground by 7 October and, sadly, was nurture…

My Lords, I am afraid that, contrary to what the Minister said, as the shocking increase in antisemitism shows, there is, sadly, obviously a place in Britain for antisemitism. That is what is happening. I am afraid that one of the main causes is the BBC. If you suggest, as it does, with its dispropo…

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Lords Debate 15 July 2025 12 contributions

Renters’ Rights Bill

My Lords, I thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Keen of Elie, the noble Lord, Lord Cromwell, and my noble friend Lady Kennedy of Cradley for their amendments. I thank the noble Earl, Lord Kinnoull, for his comments. We all miss the late Lord Etherton very much and I am very grateful to him for al…

My Lords, I thank the noble and learned Lord, Lord Keen of Elie, the noble Lord, Lord Cromwell, and the noble Baroness, Lady Scott of Bybrook, for their amendments. Amendments 89, 92 and 101 would reduce the maximum civil penalties for offences in relation to illegal evictions—

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Lords Oral Questions 15 July 2025 9 contributions

Housebuilders: Information Sharing

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness for her Answer. There could be an alternative version to this: major housebuilders pay £100 million to halt the CMA’s investigation into potential illegal collusion through the sharing of competitively sensitive information that could have inflated house prices. …

My Lords, if the Competition and Markets Authority confirms this £100 million payment for anti-competitive activity, can the Minister give an assurance that none of the affordable homes to be built with that money will be built by the volume housebuilders responsible for this activity, otherwise the…

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Lords Oral Questions 15 July 2025 8 contributions

Rutland Lieutenancy

I thank the Minister for the clarification that if legislation is needed to protect the county status, it will be given. I am sure the Answer will be welcomed by the more than 7,000 people in Rutland who signed the petition about the ceremonial status that was presented in the other place by Alicia …

The Minister is absolutely right that it is a great tribute to the House of Lords that we can look after the interests of the 41,000 people of Rutland, the lord-lieutenant and the 12 deputy lieutenants. Does she also agree that if President Putin and President Trump did the same in their own countri…

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Lords Oral Questions 10 July 2025 7 contributions

Housing: National Tenant Body

I thank the Minister for that Answer and am pleased at the positive response. We could be forgiven for thinking that everything in the garden is rosy and it is all going well—hurrah!—so why did the ombudsman, the National Housing Federation, the Commons Select Committee and other prominent voices fe…

My Lords, I wonder whether I can support the Minister and the noble Baroness, Lady Thornhill. A lot of work is being done already in the social housing sector by the NHS, and in the private-rented sector by Shelter, Generation Rent, Acorn and the NUS. It is very important that all types of tenants a…

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Lords Debate 7 July 2025 13 contributions

Renters’ Rights Bill

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Miller of Chilthorne Domer, and the noble Earl, Lord Kinnoull, for their amendments on pets and for their continued engagement on these issues, which has been incredibly helpful. I thank all noble Lords who have taken part in the debate: the noble Lords, Lo…

We need to continue to look at the evidence, and to look at the response to the letter that I will write to social landlords. We will then take further action, as necessary and if it is needed, in future legislation.

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Lords Debate 7 July 2025

Planning and Infrastructure Bill

That it be an instruction to the Committee of the Whole House to which the Planning and Infrastructure Bill has been committed that they consider the bill in the following order: Clauses 1 to 12, Clauses 29 to 41, Schedule 2, Clauses 42 to 47, Clauses 13 to 23, Schedule 1, Clauses 24 to 28, Clauses …

Lords Debate 4 July 2025

Imprisonment for Public Protection (Re-sentencing) Bill [HL]

I remind the noble Baroness that the advisory speaking limit for this debate is 10 minutes.

Lords Oral Questions 3 July 2025 10 contributions

Housing Associations: Financial Assistance

I thank the Minister for her Answer. I have an additional question: at what pace will this money arrive, particularly in London? In London and the south-east, we have the greatest housing crisis compared with anywhere else nationally. How many homes will this money deliver, and at what pace will the…

My Lords, a recent report by the social housing ombudsman highlighted repairs as a major problem. So my question to the Government and the Minister is: what will they do to fill the skills gap that we badly need to fill to maintain and improve our existing social housing, as well as the new builds?

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Lords Debate 1 July 2025 5 contributions

Renters’ Rights Bill

My Lords, I thank the noble Baronesses, Lady Scott, Lady Wolf and Lady Jones, and the noble Lords, Lord Carrington and Lord Howard, for their amendments on rent increases and the tribunals, as well as the noble Lords, Lord Hacking and Lord Carter, and the noble Baronesses, Lady Eaton and Lady Thornh…

I am grateful to the noble Baroness. Regarding Amendment 24, at present private registered providers of social housing can grant secure or assured tenancies. The majority of these are let at social rents. Social rents are regulated by the social housing regulator. The definition of “relevant low-co…

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Lords Debate 1 July 2025 15 contributions

Renters’ Rights Bill

My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Hacking for his very kind comments and—with slightly less enthusiasm—for this amendment, which would retain a form of fixed term, during which the landlord could not use a number of “landlord circumstance” grounds, including selling. My noble friend referred to…

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Scott, for her amendments on students, and all noble Lords who have participated in this debate. As noble Lords will be aware, the proposals on student accommodation have been subject to great consideration and debate both inside and outside this Chamber an…

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Lords Debate 25 June 2025 2 contributions

Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Will the Minister accept that in many of the cases where permissions are granted, pre-commencement conditions are not yet met and that is the reason these permissions are not executed or completed? In so many cases it is because of the other statutory consultees: it is not the council; the baton pas…

I understand exactly the point the noble Lord, Lord Fuller, is making and there are measures in the Bill which will ease that pressure. We are looking at stat cons and how that process works but, overall, we need to make sure that we get a very smooth process, where we speed up the whole application…

Lords Debate 25 June 2025

Renters’ Rights Bill

That the amendments for the Report stage be marshalled and considered in the following order: Clauses 1 to 3, Schedule 1, Clauses 4 to 30, Schedule 2, Clauses 31 to 74, Schedule 3, Clauses 75 to 101, Schedule 4, Clause 102, Schedule 5, Clauses 103 to 146, Schedule 6, Clauses 147 to 149, Title.

Lords Oral Questions 23 June 2025 8 contributions

Planning: Energy Efficiency and Fire Safety

I sincerely thank my noble friend the Minister. Today, millions in the UK still live in buildings with unresolved fire issues, many of which are being targeted for retrofit under decarbonisation plans. For energy efficiency, the cheapest fuel is the fuel you do not use at all. Local leaders and regi…

My Lords, the National Audit Office estimated that the work to which the noble Baroness just referred will not be completed until 2035. Is that not far too late a date for people to live in unsafe buildings? What action are the Government going to take to bring that date forward?

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Lords Oral Questions 19 June 2025 7 contributions

Social Housing

I thank my noble friend for that very positive reply. The entrenched and acute housing crisis inherited by the Government is in no small part due to the long-term failure to build anywhere near enough homes for social rent. My noble friend has made it clear that we are finally on the path to turn th…

My Lords, where are the plumbers, electricians and builders going to come from to build these houses? Do the Government have plans to increase the number of people in apprenticeships who are being trained for that purpose?

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Lords Proceedings 12 June 2025 5 contributions

Chinese Embassy Development

My Lords, before I answer the specific question from the noble Baroness, may I update the House? The inspector’s report was received on 10 June by the department. Parties have been notified a decision will be made on or before 9 September 2025. As the report has just been received, we have not yet b…

National security is, of course, the first duty of government more generally. On the specifics of the case, the inspector’s report will consider the application against all the national, local and regional issues, according to planning policy. Safety and national security will be taken into consider…

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Lords Oral Questions 9 June 2025 8 contributions

Elections: Political Party Spending

My Lords, last week Elon Musk claimed that, without his $300 million donation, Trump would have lost the election. Does the Minister accept that democracy in this country should not be for sale and that millions of votes should count for more than millions of pounds? Given their commitment to a leve…

My Lords, I welcome both the Minister’s initial Answer and her reply to the noble Lord, Lord Rennard. She will be aware that Reform, in announcing its policy on DOGE, said that it would cost the ordinary voter nothing because the expertise would be provided for free. That surely constitutes a donati…

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Lords Oral Questions 4 June 2025 9 contributions

Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019

Oh dear. Following the success of my good friend the right honourable Sir Greg Knight in securing the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, we still do not have an actual code in place six years on. Delays by the previous Government, through litigation and a need to consult—I think twice —more broadl…

My Lords, the RAC has said that private parking operators are on track to hand out a record 14.5 million fines this year. In addition to the long-awaited code of practice, will the Government go further and introduce a regulator with appropriate powers to protect motorists and ensure transparency ac…

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Lords Debate 15 May 2025 4 contributions

Renters’ Rights Bill

My Lords, before I make my comments on the noble Baroness’s amendment, I hope that the House will indulge me for a few brief moments as we start our final day in Committee on the Renters’ Rights Bill. First, let me say how noticeable it has been that, while we may have debated and occasionally had o…

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness, Lady Coffey, for her Amendment 275C, which seeks to prevent landlords, or any other relevant person in relation to a tenancy, unreasonably refusing a tenant request to install a mobility aid in their home. I also thank the noble Lord, Lord Shinkwin, and the nobl…

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Lords Oral Questions 15 May 2025 9 contributions

Planning Reforms: Energy and Housing Costs

I thank my noble friend for that helpful response, and I refer the House to my entry in the register of interests. Working with not-for-profits, I have seen how vital and often popular projects can be delayed or derailed by the complexity of the planning system, which is often used by small, well-or…

My Lords, is it not mandatory for all new houses to have on their roofs solar panels or photovoltaics?

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Lords Debate 14 May 2025 10 contributions

Renters’ Rights Bill

My Lords, I thank the noble Baronesses, Lady Thornhill and Lady Scott, and my noble friend Lord Hacking, who I do not think is in his place anymore, for their amendments regarding database fees and possession restrictions. I will start with the amendments tabled by the noble Baroness, Lady Thornhil…

As with all future funding for our department and every other department, spending review bids have gone in. I will take her request back to the department to see whether we are able to be any clearer on that, but my understanding is that at the moment that we are not able to give an exact figure. …

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