Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

First-time Home Buyers

Monday 25 October 2021 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Government offers several schemes for first-time home buyers, including First Homes, Help to Buy, and shared ownership.
  • Local authorities have responsibility for setting their own housing targets, with the example of Greater Cambridgeshire planning to build 49,000 new homes over 20 years.
  • More than 80% of people polled want to own a home, highlighting the importance of schemes like Help to Buy, as exemplified by its 300,000th user.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 David Evennett Con
Housing
Context

The question arises from the need to assist individuals who aspire to homeownership but face barriers in the current housing market.

Question

I am concerned about helping first-time home buyers. What steps is his Department taking?

Answer from Christopher Pincher

The Government offer several schemes, including First Homes with 30% discounts on first homes, Help to Buy, and shared ownership for affordable routes into home ownership.

Answered
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Q2 Anthony Browne
Housing Local Government
Context

There is a significant planned increase in house construction in Greater Cambridgeshire, particularly in South Cambridgeshire District Council.

Question

Greater Cambridgeshire plans to build 49,000 new houses and flats over the next 20 years. Will you confirm that this unprecedented house building is not imposed by the Government but an active decision of the local planning authority?

Answer from Christopher Pincher

Local authorities have responsibility for setting their own housing targets and agreeing these with the Planning Inspectorate, while acknowledging ambitious local decisions.

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Q3 David Evennett Con
Housing
Context

The question addresses the importance of home ownership and the role of schemes like Help to Buy in enabling people to purchase their first home.

Question

I appreciate your response. We recognise that a mix of housing provisions is vital, but does he agree that home ownership remains a huge aspiration for constituents, with schemes such as Help to Buy being crucial?

Answer from Christopher Pincher

More than 80% of people polled want to own a home, which is why schemes like Help to Buy are vital; for example, the 300,000th Help to Buyer was Sam Legg and his partner Megan from Leicestershire.

Answered
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Q4 Hilary Benn Lab Leeds South
Housing
Context

A constituent received a service charge bill of £103,000 to fix cladding they are not responsible for, raising concerns about the insufficiency of current measures.

Question

One of my constituents received an unjustified service charge bill. Given that the Secretary of State has been tasked with resolving this issue by the Prime Minister, when will we see a comprehensive plan to help affected leaseholders?

Answer from Christopher Pincher

We have spent over £5 billion on remediating high-rise buildings and further proposals are being brought forward. Fundamentally, this issue needs to be fixed with lenders and insurers.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Comprehensive plan timeline not specified

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