The recent debate in the House of Commons saw the rarely used ‘financial privilege’ rule used to overturn all the Lords amendments to the Welfare Reform Bill. 

This mechanism prevents Peers from overruling MPs on matters of spending.

Freezing weather continues to sweep across the country and is set to bring with it snow and ice this weekend.

Here, the Landlord Syndicate, offers advice to landlords on preparing both their properties and tenants for freezing conditions...

Here Lucy Morton and Richard Barber of estate agency, W A Ellis, give their thoughts on the Prime Central London property market for January 2012.

Lucy Morton, senior partner and head of lettings comments:

The value of prime property in the world’s key cities rose by only 0.2% in the final quarter of 2011, according to the latest Knight Frank Prime Global Cities Index.

Although the Index, which tracks the performance of the world’s leading luxury residential markets, rose by 3% during 2011, the second half of the year saw the pace of growth slow considerably.

As cold weather bites across the country special measures to temporarily shelter rough sleepers have been activated by local councils and voluntary sector partners.

Severe Weather Emergency Provision (SWEP) is activated when night time temperatures are forecast to dip below freezing for three consecutive nights.

House prices declined by 0.2% in January, but are 0.6% higher than one year ago according to the latest Nationwide House Price Index.

The price of a typical home is now £162,228.

As the Siberian cold front has really taken its grip, temperatures across the UK have plummeted.

We’re all bracing ourselves for ice and snow, and following the chaos of recent years many of us will be looking at ways of making our cars as safe as possible.

Housing Minister Grant Shapps has highlighted how the Government's action to get Britain building again will play a vital and central role in getting the country's economy on the road to recovery.

Six weeks before the budget - and less than three months since the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister launched the Government's flagship Housing Strategy - Mr Shapps unveiled a range of measures to help first time buyers onto the housing ladder, provide support for millions who have been left languishing on social housing waiting lists and get construction on the move.

22,537 homes were sold in 2011 through solicitor estate agents, with a combined value of £4billion based on figures released by Solicitors Property Centres (SPC) Scotland.

Malcolm Cannon, Chairman of SPC Scotland and Chief Executive of Edinburgh Solicitors Property Centre (ESPC) said,

Property is usually the most valuable asset people own. It can be sold and mortgaged to raise money and is therefore an attractive target for fraudsters.

The properties most vulnerable to fraud are usually empty, tenanted or mortgage-free.