Housing

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on housing. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

DateDescription
04.03.2013Co-ownership of real property
People who join together to buy real property (a house, flat, land) are known as co-owners. Typically, this may mean a couple in a relationship, whether married, in a civil partnership or cohabiting, or friends, who jointly buy a property to live in. There are two ways in which two or more people may hold (own) the underlying benefit in a property - as 'beneficial joint tenants' or as 'tenants in common'.
01.03.2013Housing Market: Economic Indicators page
There were 54,791 mortgage approvals in January 2013, 2% lower than December and 5% lower than January 2012.
27.02.2013Land Value Taxation
This note discusses recent debates over the case for taxing land values and proposals for a 'mansions tax' - an annual levy on the most valuable residential properties.
11.02.2013Stimulating housing supply - Government initiatives
This note outlines key Government measures aimed at stimulating housing supply.
29.01.2013Planning for Housing
This note sets out how local authorities should plan for housing.

Research Papers

DateDescription
13.12.2012Growth and Infrastructure Bill: Committee Stage Report
This is a report on the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill. It complements Research Paper 12/61 prepared for Commons Second Reading
01.11.2012Growth and Infrastructure Bill
The Growth and Infrastructure Bill seeks to reduce delays in the planning system and to facilitate new development, through various means. It would allow planning obligations (section 106 agreements) relating to affordable housing to be renegotiated. To promote economic growth, it makes provision for a planned revaluation of business rates in England to be postponed and to create a new employment status of employee owner. Its second reading date has been moved from 30 October to 5 November 2012.
26.07.2012Olympic Britain
Olympic Britain tells the story of the profound economic and social change in the UK since the two previous London Olympics, in 1908 and 1948, using statistics and expert analysis. The book can also be browsed using the Parliament website at www.parliament.uk/business/publications/research/olympic-britain/
12.04.2011Localism Bill: Committee Stage Report
This paper covers the Commons Committee Stage of the Bill, and complements Research Papers 11/02 and 11/03, prepared for Second Reading. The Bill covers a wide range of topics in local government, planning, housing and the governance of London. It was not substantially amended in Committee, although there were some minor technical Government amendments. However, at several points, Ministers agreed to look again at certain issues and consider whether to introduce amendments at Report Stage.
11.01.2011Localism Bill: Planning and Housing
This paper covers three parts of the Bill: Part 5 of the Bill will abolish regional planning, introduce a neighbourhood planning regime and abolish the Infrastructure Planning Commission. Part 6 of the Bill will make significant changes to the way in which social housing is provided and will also repeal the legislation governing the provision of Home Information Packs (HIPs). This Part includes provisions that will enable the long awaited reform of council housing finance. Part 7 of the Bill will make changes to housing and regeneration functions in London. It will abolish the London Development Agency and introduce a regime for Mayoral Development Corporations. Changes to Greater London Authority governance will allow the delegation of functions by Ministers to the Mayor.

Select Committee Reports

DateDescription
12.01.2011PFI in housing and hospitals.
Public Accounts Committee report [Commons]
30.03.2010Housing in the South East.
South East Select Committee report [Commons]
29.03.2010Planning for the Future: Housing and Economic Development in the West Midlands.
West Midlands Select Committee report [Commons]
10.03.2010The Decent Homes Programme.
Public Accounts Committee report [Commons]
04.02.2010Proposed National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Housing) Order 2009, relating to domestic...
Government response. Office of the Secretary of State for Wales; Welsh Affairs Select Committee report [Commons]

Early Day Motions

DateDescription
14.11.2011HOUSING AND HEALTH
That this House welcomes the Northern Housing Consortium (NHC) publication, A Foot in the door: a guide to housing and health; supports the NHC's efforts to encourage greater co-operation ...
03.11.2011SPRINKLER SYSTEMS IN DOMESTIC PROPERTIES
That this House notes the wealth of evidence showing that sprinkler systems installed in domestic properties reduce the risk of death and serious injury in the event of a fire as well ...
14.09.2011ROYAL INSTITUTE OF BRITISH ARCHITECTS' HOMEWISE CAMPAIGN
That this House believes that England faces a housing shortage with fewer homes being built than the new households that are being formed each year; welcomes the Royal Institute of ...
20.07.2011HOMELESSNESS AND SQUATTING
That this House notes research by Crisis showing that 39 per cent. of single homeless people have squatted; acknowledges that conditions in squats are often horrendous; further notes ...
22.06.2011HOUSING MARKET RENEWAL
That this House recognises the important contribution made by the Housing Market Renewal (HMR) programme in regenerating deprived communities; notes the 2.2 billion invested and the ...

Lords Library Notes

DateDescription
24.12.2012Growth and Infrastructure Bill (HL Bill 72 of 2012-13)
The purpose of the Growth and Infrastructure Bill is to promote investment in infrastructure projects, reduce delays in the planning system and introduce a new employment status of employee shareholder. This Library Note provides background information for the second reading of the Bill in the House of Lords on 8 January 2013.
27.05.2011Localism Bill (HL Bill 71 of 2010-12)
This Library Note summarises proceedings at the Localism Bill's final stages in the House of Commons and provides background information for the Bill's second reading debate in the House of Lords.

POST Papers

DateDescription
01.01.2011Housing and health, January 2011
This POSTnote looks at the impact of poor housing on health and examines the implications for housing policy.
01.11.2010UK indoor air quality, November 2010
This POSTnote describes sources of indoor air pollution, the evidence for adverse effects on human health and outlines possible policy responses.

Glossary

  • Research Papers (RP) - briefings produced by the House of Commons Library on Bills, topical issues and regular statistics
  • Standard Notes (SN) - shorter, topical briefings from the Commons Library
  • Early Day Motions (EDMs) - formal motions submitted by MPs in the House of Commons
  • POST Notes - short briefing notes produced by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
  • Lords Library Notes (LLN) - an occasional series of papers compiled by the House of Lords Library