it's been confirmed an australian teenager has becomes the sixth person to die in suspected methanol poisoning in laos. a woman from london has also died. the government says it will overhaul the leasehold system affecting around 5 million properties in england and wales. energy bills for a typical household in england, scotland and wales are set to rise again injanuary. a very good morning if you have justjoined us. let's get more on the news that the government says it will overhaul the leasehold system. affecting around five million properties in england and wales — by the end of the current parliament. it comes after a bbc investigation found that hundreds of leaseholders are struggling to afford their bills and service charges. our correspondent, tarah welsh,

has been to meet some of them. all my spare money is being plummeted into my service—charge bill. it's stressing me out, it's stressing my family out. i don't need this. i get really upset about it. sometimes i can't get out of bed. i no matter how bad the service is, if you don't pay, debt collectors are coming. it is frightening. it's intimidating. it is a threat to your basic security. in every city and many towns, in almost every tower, there are leaseholders behind every door who say they're trapped. leaseholders are obliged to pay a landlord orfreeholder a service charge to pay for communal facilities and maintenance. many say they're stuck with big service charges, and little information about why the costs are rising. most residents don't mind paying reasonable fees to maintain the structural integrity of their buildings, or for services like lift maintenance and security.

but campaigners say the leasehold system is financially exploitative, leaving families feeling powerless, and even afraid in their own homes. chris haynes bought his brand—new flat in manchester in 2016, butjust a year after moving in, he noticed water coming into his new home. i've got my mould built up around the flat. i do a lot of treating of the black mould, but you can still see where it is. chris says his flat has been plagued by leaks. there's times i'm actually concerned for my safety. i've put complaints into environmental health last year because it was 95% humidity levels in the flat, and freezing cold. the freeholder says the problems with the roof are due to defective construction practices by the previous owner. they'll now be fixing the roof, but his managing agent says the cost will be passed on to him and his neighbours through the service charge. they changed my direct debit on the 21st of december, saying that, from january, your service charge

will be £14,000 a month we'll be taking out. i can't afford that. i'll lose the flat. at the best case, bankruptcy is a possibility and, you know, working in financial services, i wouldn't be able to do that either, so i'd lose myjob. i've heard from many people who say their lives have been devastated by these types of repair costs. landlords say the cost of maintaining properties has gone up with the cost of living. as you walk over this bridge, you just see all the flats — the landscape�*s completely changed in the last few years. there are around 5 million leasehold homes in england and wales. for many living in cities, buying a flat is the only option. but many have told me they had no idea the added costs would be so high. the average service charge in england and wales is £2,321 — up 30% in five years. but in london, it's more

than £2,500 — and up 36%. with everything else going up, as well, they just become impossible. it will get to a point where you can't pay it, and what do you do? to the east of the capital, in chelmsford, keeley bought a 60% share of her flat in 2021. it was marketed by a social landlord as affordable, but she says it's become anything but. you just get the response all the time, that is, "well, that's what everything costs. "that's what you're going to have to pay." but you're also supposed to be providing housing for people that are on low incomes. itjust doesn't make any sense. her service charge is now £4,000 a year. it's disgusting. i just don't see how you can justify — how you can call yourself a social landlord whilst we're telling you that these are unaffordable. keeley challenged a number of costs — including some for security and gardening — and says she's managed to get more than £100,000 off the bill for her and her neighbours.

the government says reform of the leasehold system will make things fairer. 0n service charges specifically, i recognise the suffering out there. as a constituency mp, i get huge volumes of casework on service charges. we know that rising service—charge costs are placing a considerable — in some cases, intolerable — strain on leaseholders across the country. we've got to switch on the provisions in the leasehold and freehold reform act that increased the transparency around service charges that will make it easier for leaseholders to challenge the unreasonableness of charges. landlords say service charges are increased because of general costs like insurance, and the government has promised it will strengthen new laws to make service charges fairer and more transparent. tarah walsh, bbc news. let's speak to simone van til, a leaseholder from woolwich. simon, thank you very much for joining us on bbc news. wejust

heard in the report the impact it has had on a lot of people already. explain your situation to us. . ~ already. explain your situation to us. ., ~' , already. explain your situation tous. ., , . already. explain your situation tous. . , . ., to us. thank you very much for havin: to us. thank you very much for having me _ to us. thank you very much for having me and _ to us. thank you very much for having me and the _ to us. thank you very much for having me and the fantastic . having me and the fantastic visibility that the bbc is bringing to these issues because it has been very, very painful for myself and many other people for a long time. i bought my property back in 2016. the service charges at that point where £2000 per year. they are now over £7,000 per year. so it has become a very, very stressful situation. so, £5,000 increase, that is huge. have you had any explanation why there has been that £5,000 increase? we have one that £5,000 increase? we have gone through — that £5,000 increase? we have gone through a _ that £5,000 increase? we have gone through a whole _ that £5,000 increase? we have gone through a whole scenario l gone through a whole scenario over the last couple of years. i would actually say that it has mainly been on the back of regulations that the government have put in place. the management agents seem to really be using those to

increase the charges for our specific property. for example, the building safety act, where there is a lot of maintenance costs that apparently fell to the leaseholders. we also had the leaseholders. we also had the other charges that came on top of the service charge, an additional 15— £20,000 in the last four years that we have had to pay for.— last four years that we have had to pay for. have you tried, as a grouo _ had to pay for. have you tried, as a grouo of— had to pay for. have you tried, as a group of leaseholders, - had to pay for. have you tried, as a group of leaseholders, to | as a group of leaseholders, to fight back against the amount that it has been going up? we have tried. — that it has been going up? - have tried, yes, but it is incredibly difficult. the service management company have many more resources to almost hide behind some of these charges. they confuse us, they actually sent a very inaccurate... chasing for payments as well, they do not provide details on what the charges actually go to. we do not get receipts. if we do get them, they mess or they are

incomplete. that piece about transparency is very, very key. i would also add to that, because the clip that you just played from government is about making it easier to challenge service charges, but frankly most of us do not have time to do this. it is a full—time job to fight these charges, and it becomes impossible to do so. fin becomes impossible to do so. on that point, what has been the impact on your mental health, for example? it impact on your mental health, for example?— impact on your mental health, for example? it has been awful. it has been _ for example? it has been awful. it has been anxiety _ for example? it has been awful. it has been anxiety inducing, . it has been anxiety inducing, it has been stressful. when i bought my property, i was very proud, i owned the opportunity myself, i bought it myself without anyone's help, it was meant to offer security and control, as the government says, and instead it makes you feel hopeless, you feel you have thrown your money away, it would have been better to rent, and you have no control over what happens next. frankly, if the management company decide to increase the service charges again, i will have to pay. i cannot fight that. simone,

thank you _ cannot fight that. simone, thank you for _ cannot fight that. simone, thank you for your - cannot fight that. simone, thank you for your time i cannot fight that. simone, thank you for your time on cannot fight that. simone, - thank you for your time on bbc news. as simone mentioned, we are across the day on bbc news. there are two special programmes available to watch now on bbc iplayer, the true cost of leasehold and the leasehold trap. the covid inquiry has been interviewing matt hancock. he has been asked about the impact of covid and the restrictions on people with disabilities. lets develop a strong package of interventions. if we do, i have complete confidence that this committee and our government can move the dial and prevent a replication of disproportionate impacts in the second wave. mr hancock, what did you do by way of bringing much more ambitious and

far—reaching proposals to prevent a replication of disproportionate impacts on disabled people in the second wave? . ., disabled people in the second wave? ., ~' ,, , disabled people in the second wave? ., ~ , wave? thank you. this was obviously _ wave? thank you. this was obviously an _ wave? thank you. this was obviously an incredibly - obviously an incredibly important subject, i agree with the sentiments expressed by michael_ the sentiments expressed by michael in that letter. the answer_ michael in that letter. the answer is the shielding programme was the core to the response — programme was the core to the response from the health department. we anticipated from january— department. we anticipated from january 2020 that people with disabilities may be more likely to he — disabilities may be more likely to be clinically extremely vulnerable to covid and more likely— vulnerable to covid and more likely to _ vulnerable to covid and more likely to be badly affected. and — likely to be badly affected. and the evidence, sadly, bore that_ and the evidence, sadly, bore that out _ and the evidence, sadly, bore that out. there was a disproportionate impact in the first wave. in the summer and autumn— first wave. in the summer and autumn of— first wave. in the summer and autumn of 2020, we expanded the clinically— autumn of 2020, we expanded the clinically extremely vulnerable list and — clinically extremely vulnerable list and the shielding list as a consequence in order that a wider— a consequence in order that a wider range of people got more

of the _ wider range of people got more of the support that came with that package. the other thing that package. the other thing that i— that package. the other thing that i did, personally, was ensure _ that i did, personally, was ensure that people living with disabilities were higher up the prioritisation for vaccines by accepting the jcb i advice, clinicat— accepting the jcb i advice, clinical advice on the prioritisation of vaccines, so that— prioritisation of vaccines, so that was— prioritisation of vaccines, so that was another important action— that was another important action that happened. gn that was another important action that happened. on the first of those, _ action that happened. on the first of those, it _ action that happened. on the first of those, it is _ action that happened. on the first of those, it is not - first of those, it is not correct that in relation to the list, it is correct that people with down syndrome were added to that list in autumn, cotham 2020, but no other disabled people. 2020, but no other disabled --eole. ~ ., 2020, but no other disabled neale, 2020, but no other disabled n-eole. , people. more disabled people were by identification - people. more disabled people were by identification or - people. more disabled people were by identification or more individuals. your right to say that— individuals. your right to say that the _ individuals. your right to say that the criteria did not expand, but the data worked to find more — expand, but the data worked to find more people who needed to

be within— find more people who needed to be within the existing criteria. that meant that the list as — criteria. that meant that the list as a _ criteria. that meant that the list as a whole grew quite considerably over the autumn. you _ considerably over the autumn. you mean _ considerably over the autumn. you mean the cv list, rather than the c ev list. i you mean the cv list, rather than the c ev list.— than the c ev list. i in the shielding _ than the c ev list. i in the shielding list. _ than the c ev list. i in the shielding list. young - than the c ev list. | in the | shielding list. young wrote than the c ev list. | in the - shielding list. young wrote my next _ shielding list. young wrote my next question is about the mortality rates. in october 2020, _ mortality rates. in october 2020, the ons established that six in ten deaths _ 2020, the ons established ii�*ué�*ii six in ten deaths that occurred between march and july 2020, the first wave, where of disabled people. that rate of disparity remained for the second wave, even when controlled by geography, socio— economic and demographic factors, health characteristics andindeed factors, health characteristics and indeed vaccination status. disabled people therefore remained at a greater risk, much greater risk of death than non—disabled people. in light of that, do you believe your department did enough to reduce disproportionate impacts on disabled people ahead of the second wave? the

disabled people ahead of the second wave?— disabled people ahead of the second wave? ~ , second wave? we did everything we could. the _ second wave? we did everything we could. the challenge - second wave? we did everything we could. the challenge is - second wave? we did everything we could. the challenge is that i we could. the challenge is that the virus — we could. the challenge is that the virus itself was more aggressive against people living _ aggressive against people living with disabilities. and that— living with disabilities. and that is— living with disabilities. and that is a _ living with disabilities. and that is a sad fact. in the same way— that is a sad fact. in the same way that— that is a sad fact. in the same way that it _ that is a sad fact. in the same way that it was more aggressive against — way that it was more aggressive against people who were older. so, absolutely, we took action to reduce _ so, absolutely, we took action to reduce the total number of people — to reduce the total number of people affected and the disparities. but the disparities. but the disparities are a result of the nature — disparities are a result of the nature of— disparities are a result of the nature of the virus. 30 disparities are a result of the nature of the virus.— disparities are a result of the nature of the virus. so you are sa in: nature of the virus. so you are saying disabled _ nature of the virus. so you are saying disabled people - nature of the virus. so you are saying disabled people were . saying disabled people were clinically more likely to die from covid than non—disabled people? from covid than non-disabled --eole? . , from covid than non-disabled --eole? ., , . ., people? that is the clear evidence _ people? that is the clear evidence from _ people? that is the clear evidence from the - people? that is the clear evidence from the data, | people? that is the clear - evidence from the data, yes. would — evidence from the data, yes. would you be able to assist us with what evidence you are referring to?— with what evidence you are referring to? yes, i am very ha - referring to? yes, i am very happy to — referring to? yes, i am very happy to write _ referring to? yes, i am very happy to write afterwards i referring to? yes, i am very i happy to write afterwards with it. i haven't got it to hand. i am it. i haven't got it to hand. am most it. i haven't got it to hand. i am most grateful. thank it. i haven't got it to hand. t am most grateful. thank you

very much. thank you, my lady. mr hancock, i ask questions on behalf of the mental health charity mind. firstly, paragraph four of your fifth witness statement, you see the single most important fact about the nhs and the pandemic is that it was never overwhelmed, although of course you do qualify that by saying that demand never exceeded capacity across the uk as a whole. �* , ., ., capacity across the uk as a whole. a ., ., , whole. as a whole, absolutely. the second _ whole. as a whole, absolutely. the second part _ whole. as a whole, absolutely. the second part of _ whole. as a whole, absolutely. the second part of the - whole. as a whole, absolutely. the second part of the context| the second part of the context of my question is the witness statement of safran caudery,

who is the deputy chief executive of the nhs providers organisation, in which she says in paragraph 206, "throughout the course of the relevant period, trust leader is highlighted to us that mental health services for children and young people faced a significant treatment gap prior to the pandemic, in addition to demand stemming from the pandemic." and paragraph 209 of the same statement, she describes how in may 2021 nhs providers conducted a survey of chairs and chief executives of mental health and learning disability trusts that provide mental health services for children and young people. the findings of that survey include that 85% of respondents said they could not meet demand for children and young people's eating disorder services, and two thirds said that they were

not able to meet demand for community services and inpatient services.- community services and i inpatient services.- so community services and - inpatient services.- so my inpatient services. yes. so my auestion inpatient services. yes. so my question is — inpatient services. yes. so my question is in _ inpatient services. yes. so my question is in specific - question is in specific relation to children and young people's mental health inpatient capacity, do you maintain that the nhs was never overwhelmed during the relevant period? overwhelmed during the relevant eriod? ~ ., ., ., period? what i would say to that is that _ period? what i would say to that is that this _ period? what i would say to that is that this was - period? what i would say to that is that this was a - period? what i would say to i that is that this was a problem well before the pandemic. and in the 2018 long—term plan,