Business of the House

I thank my hon. Friend for raising that issue. Along with our hon. Friend the Member for Regent's Park and Kensington, North (Ms Buck), she has been a champion for the protection of leaseholders. Many people bought former council properties, but then, with the big investment in council estates following the decent homes programme, those on modest or low incomes, including retired people, were clobbered with bills of up to £40,000. While house prices were rising, it was possible for those people to have a charge taken on their homes, so that they would not have to stump up the cash immediately. With the fall in property prices, however, they have faced problems. I know that my right hon. Friend the Minister for Housing has been making the issue a priority, and I am aware that a number of hon. Members have had meetings with Ministers. Perhaps I should suggest a general meeting between the Minister and all Members with leaseholders in their constituencies who face such problems, and then perhaps we can come forward with an announcement. We are talking about people on very low incomes or perhaps in retirement who suddenly find five-figure sum bills arriving on their doormats and being told that they have to pay. That is something that, along with other problems in the housing market, we cannot turn away from.