Posted 27.05.15
The Government's proposed legislative plans for the coming year have been unveiled in the Queen's Speech. Below we look at the implications for housing.
Housing Bill
The Bill will seek to extend the Right to Buy to 1.3 million housing association tenants.
It will also propose help for first-time buyers, with 200,000 starter homes made available to under-40s at a 20% discount.
The Government's view is that the bill will increase the housing supply and ensure local people have more control over planning.
Full Employment and Welfare Benefits Bill
The legislation will introduce a planned reduction in the welfare cap - from £26,000 to £23,000, and freeze working-age benefits, tax credit and child benefit for two years.
The bill will look to scrapping automatic entitlement to Housing Benefit for 18-21-year-olds.
Immigration Bill
The Government is promising to "control immigration" and measures proposed in the bill will aim to deal with unscrupulous landlords and to evict illegal migrants more quickly.
Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill
This bill will open the way for powers over housing, transport, planning and policing to be devolved to England's cities. Cities that want them will be able to have elected mayors.
Draft Public Service Ombudsman Bill
This bill (already in draft form) proposed to reform and modernise the Public Service Ombudsman sector. It would absorb the functions of the Parliamentary Ombudsman, the Health Ombudsman, and the Local Government Ombudsman and potentially the Housing Ombudsman.
The Queen's Speech can be accessed in full via this link.
