Question
I have over half a dozen park home estates in my constituency, so I welcome the fact that the Minister and the Government are reviewing whether to get rid of the 10% charge that owners have to pay if they sell their park home. No other property owner has to pay such a charge, and my constituents feel very strongly that this is iniquitous. May I make a submission to the review on their behalf? They would be very grateful if the Minister were to abolish the charge.
Answer
I will take that submission. We are outside the consultation period, but I am sure we can gratefully accept it. There are a range of very strongly held views on this issue. The previous Government looked at it; they concluded that they did not have the necessary evidence and that we needed to go out again. We have done that, but as I say, we will make a decision by the end of the year.
Verdict: AMBER (57/100)
The minister clearly accepted the member's submission on behalf of constituents, though it was noted that the consultation period has already closed. On the main question of whether the 10% charge will be scrapped, the reply gave background on the evidence and consultation and said a decision will be made by the end of the year, but did not say whether the charge will be abolished. A constituent would therefore have a clear answer on the first point but would probably need to ask again for a firm position on the charge.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the member may make a submission to the Government's review of the 10% charge on park home sales on behalf of constituents | Addressed | Direct | The minister directly says "I will take that submission" and that it can be gratefully accepted, which answers whether the member may make a submission on behalf of constituents. The note that the consultation period has closed is a qualifier, but the reply still accepts the submission. |
| Whether the Government will abolish the 10% charge payable by park home owners when they sell their park home | Partially Addressed | Hedged | The reply never states whether the 10% charge will be abolished; it gives background on the evidence and consultation and says only that a decision will be made by the end of the year. The timing is concrete, but the substantive question of whether the charge will be scrapped is left open. |