At 4.30pm on Monday 1st February the Petitions Committee will circumvent the ban on Westminster Hall debates with an online meeting.
The UK property industry is to finally get its parliamentary debate on a much wanted stamp duty holiday extension after the Petitions Committee recently announced that MPs, via a virtual debate, will be able to debate the increasingly popular e-petition.
Thought to have been initially delayed after Jacob Rees-Mogg stated that the chamber where e-petitions with more than 100,000 signatures can then be debated on, was to be closed ‘until further notice’ due to the current COVID global pandemic and Government restrictions in place.
Signed by over 125,000 people so far, the stamp duty e-petition in question asks for a 6 month extension to the currently in-place stamp duty holiday on homes for sale under half a million that is due to end on the 31st March 2021.
Leading the session will be Elliot Colburn, a member of the Petitions Committee. MP Jesse Norman, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, will respond. Also being heard the week after is a second petition relating to musicians’ problems touring the EU after the Brexit ended on 1st January 2021.
The Chair of the Commons Petitions Committee, Catherine McKinnel MP who is pictured, says: “I’m delighted we have been able to schedule two e-petition sessions, where Members from across the House, including those self-isolating and shielding, will be able to scrutinise the Government directly on issues raised by petitioners.”
“As was the case when Westminster Hall was closed due to Covid-19 last year, we have had to innovate to find ways to hold the Government to account, and crucially to voice the concerns of petitioners in the House of Commons, while our usual debates cannot be held.”
“As these petitions demonstrate, there are important issues affecting hundreds of thousands of people that are being missed. Their calls for help and support must be heard.”
If you find yourself with nothing to do on Monday 1st February, and chances are that unless you are at work you won’t have much to do!!!!! You can view the session LIVE online on Parliament TV and Parliament’s YouTube Channel.
Steve Pymm, Managing Director of Pymm & Co reacts.
“Let’s wait and see what happens if they extend it and if it will help the economy in the short term and will help us as agents with the work load of everyone trying get properties completed by the deadline of March 31st. But if they don’t extend it then we will have a rush up to the end of March, but we will find the new normal after that I guess. Although with stamp duty and furlough set to end at the end of March we could be facing a cliff edge so to speak. All we can do is do our best keep working hard and make sure everyone stays safe“.
