UK Parliament / Open data

Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill [Lords]

Debate on bills on Monday, 19 March 2007, in the House of Commons, led by Ian McCartney. The answering member was Mark Prisk.
Consumers Estate Agents and Redress Bill (HL). Second reading debate. Agreed to on question. Programme motion on proceedings in Committee, on Report, Third Reading and any other proceedings. Agreed to on question. Money resolution agreed to on question. Ways and Means Resolution agreed to on question.

About these Parliamentary proceedings

Reference

458 c589-642 

Session

2006-07

Department

Department of Trade and Industry

Legislative stage

Second reading

Procedure

Programme motions
Money resolutions
Ways and means resolutions

Chamber / Committee

House of Commons chamber

Related items

Consumers Estate Agents and Redress Bill (HL). Brought from the Lords. Explanatory Notes Bill 61-EN also published.
Wednesday, 7 February 2007
Bills
House of Lords
Legislative scrutiny : first progress report. Human Rights Joint Select Committee second report report with proceedings and appendices.
Monday, 22 January 2007
Parliamentary committees
House of Lords
House of Commons

Proceeding contributions

Peter Luff | 458 c639 (Link to this contribution) When does the Minister expect to reach that decision?
Jim Fitzpatrick | 458 c639-41 (Link to this contribution) I cannot gaze into a crystal ball and give the hon. Gentleman a date for that at present. I apologis...

Show all contributions (83)
Jim Fitzpatrick | 458 c636 (Link to this contribution) Yes, but the House is keen to proceed to other urgent business, so I urge the hon. Gentleman to be b...
Mark Prisk | 458 c631-5 (Link to this contribution) Today’s debate is best described as short but surprisingly insightful; in that respect, it reminds m...
Jim Fitzpatrick | 458 c635-6 (Link to this contribution) We have had a wide-ranging, useful debate, and I have listened with great interest to contributions ...
Robert Smith | 458 c628-30 (Link to this contribution) I am pleased to follow the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend, East (James Duddridge). Perhaps th...
Brian Binley | 458 c630-1 (Link to this contribution) I recognise that the Bill is non-contentious, as the debate proves, so I shall keep my remarks as br...
Jim Fitzpatrick | 458 c638-9 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman raises a fair and sensible point. If he will allow us, we will deal with it in de...
Robert Smith | 458 c638 (Link to this contribution) As a secondary point, what happens if there is a dispute between the consumer and the council about ...
Jim Fitzpatrick | 458 c636-8 (Link to this contribution) We will discuss the detail in Committee, but obviously, we want to deal with that as expeditiously a...
Robert Smith | 458 c636 (Link to this contribution) The Minister discussed the transition from Postwatch to the new body. What timetable does he envisag...
Peter Luff | 458 c617-22 (Link to this contribution) Yes, that is right. An apology on behalf of us all for the political class who seem to have lost the...
Robert Smith | 458 c622 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman makes an important point about the impact of zonal pricing. Although he is right ...
Peter Luff | 458 c622-4 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman’s intervention speaks for itself. I obviously agree with him. I think that 93 per...
James Duddridge | 458 c624 (Link to this contribution) I am sure that that inquiry will be gratefully received. Can my hon. Friend give me an indication of...
James Duddridge | 458 c626-8 (Link to this contribution) We have heard passionate speeches from hon. Members on both sides of the House about the consumer, c...
Laura Moffatt | 458 c624-6 (Link to this contribution) Thank you, Mr. Deputy Speaker, for calling me to speak in this important debate. I hope to make a sh...
Peter Luff | 458 c624 (Link to this contribution) We have not issued the press release yet, but it will go out very shortly and my announcement in the...
Laura Moffatt | 458 c626 (Link to this contribution) I thank the hon. Gentleman for that intervention. We did not discuss lettings. I was referring to th...
Mark Prisk | 458 c626 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Lady said that the estate agents whom she had consulted were keen to widen the scope of the...
Desmond Turner | 458 c615 (Link to this contribution) I shall be brief. I welcome the Bill. It will greatly strengthen consumer protection and make it mor...
Desmond Turner | 458 c616 (Link to this contribution) I have to take exception to the hon. Gentleman’s latter point. I accept his point about the populari...
Baroness Kramer | 458 c610-3 (Link to this contribution) I thank the right hon. Gentleman. He spoke of the issues surrounding the abolition of Energywatch. I...
Tom Clarke | 458 c610 (Link to this contribution) My constituency is Coatbridge, Chryston and Bellshill. May I add that I should have referred earlier...
Baroness Kramer | 458 c613-5 (Link to this contribution) I hope that a multiple scheme system would operate like that, but I am concerned. Because the scheme...
Mark Prisk | 458 c613 (Link to this contribution) Does the hon. Lady not agree that what matters is the standards that must be applied to such schemes...
Baroness Kramer | 458 c609 (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister. We are now moving forward. In the House of Lords we were unable to obtain that...
Ian McCartney | 458 c609 (Link to this contribution) There are issues of implementation, but that is all that they are. They are not issues of principle....
Baroness Kramer | 458 c608 (Link to this contribution) I repeat that I am concerned. It would be extremely helpful if the Minister could give me an assuran...
Ian McCartney | 458 c609 (Link to this contribution) The reason why clause 16 is in the Bill is to give absolute certainty, because in the past, these ha...
Baroness Kramer | 458 c610 (Link to this contribution) I agree that the turmoil and uncertainty will make everything worse. I have been part of organisatio...
Baroness Kramer | 458 c609-10 (Link to this contribution) Again, I disagree with the Minister. Access to redress does not appear to be contingent on introduci...
Peter Luff | 458 c610 (Link to this contribution) I want to come to the hon. Lady’s aid—partly, at least, as she seems to be being attacked from both ...
Alan Duncan | 458 c608 (Link to this contribution) Perhaps I am on the Minister’s side on this question. When the clause says ““may””, it means ““has t...
Baroness Kramer | 458 c608 (Link to this contribution) I repeat that the use of the word ““may”” is the cause of our concern, and the Minister has just con...
Jim Fitzpatrick | 458 c608 (Link to this contribution) I am sure that the hon. Lady has examined the Bill. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade poin...
Tom Clarke | 458 c605-6 (Link to this contribution) If so, why do the Opposition believe there is a need for the Bill? As my right hon. Friend the Minis...
Baroness Kramer | 458 c606-8 (Link to this contribution) Let me start by picking up what the Minister said at the beginning of his speech about the unfair co...
Ian McCartney | 458 c608 (Link to this contribution) There is no collusion between Front Benchers on the matter. I gave the House a genuine insight into ...
Baroness Kramer | 458 c608 (Link to this contribution) I feel strongly that delay is the best mechanism for ensuring that water is protected for the consum...
Tom Clarke | 458 c605 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman is entitled to his opinion. He has put it on record and I am sure his constituent...
Peter Luff | 458 c605 (Link to this contribution) I shall be slightly less helpful to the right hon. Gentleman this time. It is important to record th...
Tom Clarke | 458 c604-5 (Link to this contribution) My hon. Friend, who is Member of Parliament for Coventry, South and comes from the fine town of Coat...
Ian McCartney | 458 c598 (Link to this contribution) I am not going to apologise for my accent. From my perspective, the answer was clear—it will be the ...
Alan Duncan | 458 c598-601 (Link to this contribution) That does clarify the matter, so I am grateful to the Minister. However, in the course of his earlie...
Peter Luff | 458 c598 (Link to this contribution) We are in the fortunate position that the Minister replying to the debate is responsible for post of...
Alan Duncan | 458 c598 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to my hon. Friend. To many, there is a suspicion, on which they need reassurance, that...
Tom Clarke | 458 c603-4 (Link to this contribution) I welcome that intervention. Later, I hope to discuss Ofgem, because there are many lessons to be le...
Robert Smith | 458 c604 (Link to this contribution) The right hon. Gentleman made an important point about vulnerable customers and disconnection. The c...
Tom Clarke | 458 c601-3 (Link to this contribution) I hope that the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton (Alan Duncan) will forgive me if I do not follow ...
Peter Luff | 458 c603 (Link to this contribution) The right hon. Gentleman makes an important point. He discussed the issue of overcharging by a suppl...
Tom Clarke | 458 c604 (Link to this contribution) The hon. Gentleman is on to something but, as I hope to explain, I do not believe that it is enough ...
Jim Cunningham | 458 c604 (Link to this contribution) I am inclined to agree with my right hon. Friend. What is the logic of having regulators who say tha...
Anne Begg | 458 c590 (Link to this contribution) I wonder whether the catch-all provision would cover the practice that a number of disabled people e...
Ian McCartney | 458 c589-90 (Link to this contribution) I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second time. I have been involved in consumer affairs in...
Ian McCartney | 458 c597 (Link to this contribution) I have to respond to my next-door neighbour in London. Extensive work has been done in co-ordinating...
Robert Key | 458 c597 (Link to this contribution) I have tried diligently to make use of Postwatch, whose motives are tremendous, but for several year...
Alan Duncan | 458 c597 (Link to this contribution) The last couple of minutes seem to have been more effective than the entire proceedings of Public Bi...
Alan Duncan | 458 c597-8 (Link to this contribution) Let me just ask the House whether bigger means stronger. Conservative Members are concerned about th...
Jim Cunningham | 458 c597 (Link to this contribution) I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will agree with me and the Minister that Postwatch was not effecti...
Alan Duncan | 458 c597 (Link to this contribution) I think many may disagree with what the Minister says about groundless fears. There are serious conc...
Ian McCartney | 458 c597 (Link to this contribution) I thank the hon. Gentleman for having this helpful conversation. I do not need to amend the Bill in ...
Alan Duncan | 458 c597 (Link to this contribution) That is not in the Bill at the moment, but I welcome and appreciate the Minister’s constructive resp...
Ian McCartney | 458 c596 (Link to this contribution) I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving way and apologise if I misrepresent what he has said. I recogn...
Robert Smith | 458 c591 (Link to this contribution) The Minister talks about the new body being an advocate for consumers. Does he mean that it will be ...
Ian McCartney | 458 c590-1 (Link to this contribution) It will be the National Consumer Council. As I get into my speech, the hon. Gentleman will see what ...
James Duddridge | 458 c592 (Link to this contribution) The Minister says that he has great hopes for the National Consumer Council. Will it be structured i...
Ian McCartney | 458 c591-2 (Link to this contribution) I assure the hon. Gentleman that its role will be both general and particular, and that it will have...
Peter Luff | 458 c593 (Link to this contribution) As I understand it, the energy sector already has a redress scheme, and the energy supply ombudsman ...
Ian McCartney | 458 c592-3 (Link to this contribution) That is a fair question. I have already indicated in consultation that the next sector that I would ...
Alan Duncan | 458 c596 (Link to this contribution) I thank the Minister for talking us through the main points of the Bill, which Conservative Members ...
Ian McCartney | 458 c593-6 (Link to this contribution) I will come back to that point, but the hon. Gentleman may rest assured that for the first time ever...
Peter Luff | 458 c590 (Link to this contribution) Will the Minister clarify one issue of detail on the name of the new consumer advocacy body that is ...
Ian McCartney | 458 c590 (Link to this contribution) I can confirm that that is the case. As I get into my speech, hon. Members will see that the Bill co...
James Duddridge | 458 c616 (Link to this contribution) Given that in most surveys estate agents and MPs are lumped together at the bottom of the league tab...
Ian McCartney | 458 c617 (Link to this contribution) In that case I take it that the hon. Gentleman’s last remark was an apology.
Peter Luff | 458 c616 (Link to this contribution) It is not my intention to spend much time discussing the parts of the Bill that deal with estate age...
Peter Luff | 458 c617 (Link to this contribution) I give way with pleasure to the Minister, whom I hugely like and respect.
Alan Duncan | 458 c597 (Link to this contribution) I am grateful to my hon. Friend and hope that the Minister will have heard what he said. It appears ...

Subjects

Complaints
Compensation
Criminal records
Consumers
Business
Closures
Direct selling
Electricity
Financial services
Estate agents
Gas and Electricity Consumer Council
Qualifications
Ofwat
Protection
Property transfer
Natural gas
Mergers
Ombudsman
Office of Fair Trading
Postal services
National Consumer Council
Scotland
Water supply
Regulation
Wales
Rented housing
Consumer Council for Postal Services
Consumer Direct

Legislation

Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill (HL) 2006-07

Link

View this Parliamentary proceeding on www.publications.parliament.uk
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