Oral QuestionDepartment for Work and Pensions

“If he will make a statement on his departmental responsibilities.”

Tabled: 12 March 2024Answered: 18 March 2024

Answering Minister

the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Answer from Hansard

The Prime Minister

I thank the hon. Gentleman for raising this matter. We are committed to building those 1.5 million homes, which includes 4,500 new homes every year in Cornwall. I do recognise the point that the hon. Member makes, which is that excessive concentrations of short-term lets and second homes in places such as Cornwall can impact the availability and affordability of homes. That is why we will enable councils to charge a premium on the council tax bills of second homes, abolish the furnished home lettings regime and introduce a registration scheme for short-term lets. I am happy to make sure that he and his Cornish colleagues get the meeting that they want with the Housing Minister to discuss that further.