Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill [HL]

My Lords, I am very grateful for the support of the noble Lords, Lord Lee of Trafford and Lord Dubs. There are many on the government Benches who dislike the view that the Minister is taking. He has to take his brief, and that is right; but the noble Lord, Lord Dubs, has put his name to a number of Bills wanting to control estate agents. The noble Lords, Lord Grocott and Lord Davies of Oldham, have both put their names to Bills trying to deal with estate agents. Everyone knows that there is a problem, and the Government are too pathetic and weak even to try to tackle the problem. They are very happy to try little redress schemes; but that is shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. We need to grasp this nettle, and this is the ideal Bill in which to do it. The Minister said that it is not justified by the cost. I take issue with him on that. Is he prepared to let thousands of consumers be ripped off for a licensing scheme that will not cost the consumer any money at all? There are lots of estate agents out there and there is a big market working. All we are saying is that there should be some form of licensing to raise standards, as the noble Lord, Lord Dubs, said. I was very disappointed not to receive any support from my Front Bench. That is in marked contrast to what happened in the previous Parliament, when I received very enthusiastic support from my Front Bench. Quite rightly, I have not asked my noble friend Lady Wilcox what she thinks about it; she has a job to do. But since she has been such a doughty supporter of the consumer in the past, it must gall her that the consumer is not about to be given the protection that he, and she, so badly want. On the European issue, I know that no decision has been taken on a directive; that was not the question I asked. I asked the Minister two other questions, which he has not been able to answer. I did not give him notice of what I was going to ask him, but it is right that he ought to be able to reply and give me a chance to consider his thoughts. For the time being, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.