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| Ministers face battle to get Housing Bill into law | Ministers face battle to get Housing Bill into law |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The government is in a race against time to get its promise to build 200,000 starter homes into law. | The government is in a race against time to get its promise to build 200,000 starter homes into law. |
| MPs voted on Tuesday night to reject 13 amendments to the Housing Bill demanded by the House of Lords. | MPs voted on Tuesday night to reject 13 amendments to the Housing Bill demanded by the House of Lords. |
| They backed higher rents for people with a household income of £31,000 or more (£40,000 in London) and plans to make councils sell "high value" homes to help pay off the deficit. | They backed higher rents for people with a household income of £31,000 or more (£40,000 in London) and plans to make councils sell "high value" homes to help pay off the deficit. |
| A threatened Tory rebellion against these and other moves did not happen. | A threatened Tory rebellion against these and other moves did not happen. |
| The Housing Bill will return to the Lords later on Wednesday, where peers, led by Lib Dem Baroness Williams, are expected to try to reinstate some of the amendments. | The Housing Bill will return to the Lords later on Wednesday, where peers, led by Lib Dem Baroness Williams, are expected to try to reinstate some of the amendments. |
| 'Pay to stay' | 'Pay to stay' |
| The bill is "ping-ponging" between the two houses - with the government desperate to get it into law before the end of the current parliamentary session next week. | The bill is "ping-ponging" between the two houses - with the government desperate to get it into law before the end of the current parliamentary session next week. |
| If it fails to do so, it could see its manifesto commitment to building hundreds of thousands of "starter homes" in England and Wales delayed. | If it fails to do so, it could see its manifesto commitment to building hundreds of thousands of "starter homes" in England and Wales delayed. |
| The Lords is likely to have to water down some of its amendments after Housing Minister Brandon Lewis declared them budgetary measures, meaning the House of Commons has the final say on them. | The Lords is likely to have to water down some of its amendments after Housing Minister Brandon Lewis declared them budgetary measures, meaning the House of Commons has the final say on them. |
| The Lords had voted to soften the impact of so-called "pay to stay" plans, which would see council tenants in England paying higher rents. | |
| Lyn Brown, Labour MP for West Ham, backed the Lords amendment, telling MPs: "This is a tax on aspiration, and the idea that a family in London that earns £40,000 a year is rich is baloney. | |
| "It costs an awful lot to live in this wonderful capital city of ours - something that the minister is failing to grasp." | "It costs an awful lot to live in this wonderful capital city of ours - something that the minister is failing to grasp." |
| But MPs voted to reject a Lords amendment to raise the £31,000 threshold (£40,000 in London) by £10,000 and limit rent increases to 10p in every extra pound earned. | But MPs voted to reject a Lords amendment to raise the £31,000 threshold (£40,000 in London) by £10,000 and limit rent increases to 10p in every extra pound earned. |
| Mr Lewis said: "Our preference is for a taper set at 20% or an extra 20p in rent for every pound earned above the income threshold. | Mr Lewis said: "Our preference is for a taper set at 20% or an extra 20p in rent for every pound earned above the income threshold. |
| "That would mean, for example, that a household earning over the £31,000 threshold would contribute just a few pounds a week in additional rent." | "That would mean, for example, that a household earning over the £31,000 threshold would contribute just a few pounds a week in additional rent." |
| 'Damaging plans' | 'Damaging plans' |
| He added: "It is right that social tenants on higher incomes contribute more in rent where they can afford to do so, but we are also mindful that the policy should protect work incentives." | He added: "It is right that social tenants on higher incomes contribute more in rent where they can afford to do so, but we are also mindful that the policy should protect work incentives." |
| The Lords also wanted guarantees high value properties sold off by councils to fund the government's plans to extend "right to buy" to housing association tenants in England would be replaced by similar homes in the same area, amid fears long-standing residents would be driven out of their home areas. | The Lords also wanted guarantees high value properties sold off by councils to fund the government's plans to extend "right to buy" to housing association tenants in England would be replaced by similar homes in the same area, amid fears long-standing residents would be driven out of their home areas. |
| The Lords may now have to water this amendment down after it was rejected by MPs in Tuesday night's vote. | The Lords may now have to water this amendment down after it was rejected by MPs in Tuesday night's vote. |
| Mr Lewis said the government had made some concessions to the demands, but he accused peers of wanting to "wreck" the bill, which includes plans for more "starter homes". | Mr Lewis said the government had made some concessions to the demands, but he accused peers of wanting to "wreck" the bill, which includes plans for more "starter homes". |
| He told MPs: "We are determined to deliver for Britain on our election promises. | He told MPs: "We are determined to deliver for Britain on our election promises. |
| "The manifesto on which this government was elected set out a very clear statement of intent about a viable extension of the right to buy, paid for by the sale of higher-value housing, and about 200,000 starter homes by the end of this Parliament." | "The manifesto on which this government was elected set out a very clear statement of intent about a viable extension of the right to buy, paid for by the sale of higher-value housing, and about 200,000 starter homes by the end of this Parliament." |
| Labour's shadow housing minister John Healey said: "The Housing Bill will mean the loss of thousands of affordable homes while doing nothing to fix the causes of the last six years of failure on housing. | Labour's shadow housing minister John Healey said: "The Housing Bill will mean the loss of thousands of affordable homes while doing nothing to fix the causes of the last six years of failure on housing. |
| "Ministers showed yesterday that they still have no answers to concerns from housing experts, campaigners, MPs and peers." | "Ministers showed yesterday that they still have no answers to concerns from housing experts, campaigners, MPs and peers." |
| He added: "If ministers want to fix the housing crisis then they need to listen to the opposition coming from all sides and rethink their damaging plans." | He added: "If ministers want to fix the housing crisis then they need to listen to the opposition coming from all sides and rethink their damaging plans." |