A Week In Westminster By Dr Brian Iddon, Member of Parliament for Bolton South East THE Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill (Lords) has completed its Committee Stage and will be back in the House of Commons for its Report Stage and Third Reading towards the end of this month or in early March.
I spoke several times in this Committee -- on the Government amendment to ban Freeholders from insisting that leaseholders use a nominated insurance company (in Bolton, The Compton Group have been insisting on leaseholders taking out building insurance with Axa); on ending leasehold as a tenure; and on banning forfeiture. If a leaseholder fails to abide by the conditions of their lease, for example by not paying their ground rent or service charges, they can be made to forfeit their lease with loss of their home.
Recently, the London Borough of Camden won ownership of a woman's flat, worth £350,000, through her failure to pay ground rent and service charges, worth only £1,266.38. She will not receive a penny in compensation. The local authority did not attempt to find out the reasons for non-payment, she had been in hospital for almost two years. In Committee, I moved an amendment to abolish forfeiture, but withdrew it to give the Government more time to consider their position. The amendment is down again for the Report Stage of the Bill.
Last Tuesday, I visited Croydon to launch a video about dual diagnosis, "Pillar to Post", in which I feature. Produced by Mind, it demonstrates the link between mental illness and the misuse of drugs. About 40 per cent of the people who become mentally ill begin to misuse drugs or vice versa.
Last Wednesday, I hosted another meeting in the House of Commons for the Down's Syndrome Association, at which they launched their training video for medical students, produced with the help of St Georges Hospital in London. Hopefully, this will lead to better treatment of those with this syndrome within the NHS. Health Minister Jacqui Smith was a guest speaker.
This week I also visited Belfast, as Treasurer of the Associate Parliamentary Warm Homes Group, to talk to Ministers and others in Northern Ireland about their work to combat fuel poverty and promote energy efficiency.
My advice surgeries are on the first Saturday of each month at 10.30am in Farnworth Town Hall (rear entrance) and on the third Friday of every month at 4.30pm in Bolton Town Hall (Dido Suite). Ring Karen (01204 371202) for further advice.
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