Speaking in a Parliamentary debate calling for a review of the 10% commission fee payable to site owners on the sale of Park Homes, Alok Sharma calls for any review to include raising the level of transparency of site owners’ accounts.

Alok Sharma (Reading West) (Con): I have had representations from residents of Garston Park caravan park about their concern that 10% is indeed a very high figure. The Mobile Homes Act says that the charge on the sale of a home can be up to 10%. Does the right hon. Lady have any statistics—or perhaps the Minister can give them when he responds—on how many park home owners are charging 10% as opposed to a lower figure?

Annette Brooke: I think we will have to rely on the Minister being informed of that number. It has not been drawn to my attention that anybody charges less than the maximum, as is usually the case when a maximum is set.

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Alok Sharma: The right hon. Lady makes an interesting point about transparency. A lot of these park homes are owned by individuals and private companies, so there is not the level of transparency in the accounts that one would expect. Does she agree that as part of a review, we should ask park owners to be a little more open to demonstrate whether a reduction in the 10% charge would really hit their bottom line as much as they say?

Annette Brooke: I absolutely agree. Transparency is the key to finding the right answer for everybody in this scenario.

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