Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill [HL]

moved Amendment No. 6: 6: Before Clause 53, insert the following new Clause— ““Estate agency work (1) Section 1 of the Estate Agents Act 1979 (c. 38) (estate agency work) is amended as follows. (2) In subsection (1) after ““land”” insert ““or who wishes to let, rent or manage residential property””. (3) In subsection (1)(a) after ““such an interest”” insert ““or manage, rent or, as the case may be, let such a residential interest””. (4) In subsection (1)(b) after ““of that interest”” insert ““or the management, letting or, as the case may be, renting of that residential interest””.”” The noble Earl said: My Lords, once again, we have discussed this amendment before. On Report, I had support from Members from all sides of the House: from the noble Lord, Lord Best, on the Cross Benches; from the noble Lord, Lord Dubs, and the noble Lord, Lord Borrie—whom I am delighted to see in his place—on the Labour Benches; and from the noble Lord, Lord Lee of Trafford, on the Liberal Benches. On that occasion, I withdrew the amendment because the Minister said that he would take it away to have another look at it. He has done so, but he has not moved at all. However, it is clear that action needs to be taken. The argument that he used is justified in one sense because the Bill is based on the OFT’s report. However, that was a limited report, and it is not our fault that the Government did not do their homework and cover the subject properly. If they had, we would have a very different Bill in front of us. It is important that I move this amendment. I beg to move.