Clause 2 - Responsibility for marketing a property which is on the market
Homes Bill
6:45 pm
Mr Don Foster (Bath, Liberal Democrat)
Mindful of the time, may I just say to the Minister that if he has a good product, he should have confidence in it? It appears that the Government do not have much confidence in their product. I am amazed that the Minister draws my attention to paragraph 57 of the explanatory notes, which sets out the range of the discretionary routes that local authority trading standards officers can follow. The implication of that is that he is not the slightest bit interested in what the local authority trading standards officers, as represented by the Local Government Association, have to say on that point.
I remind the Under-Secretary that he and his hon. Friend the Minister of State were very keen to pray in aid trading standards officers when they were telling us that the average cost per council was going to be only an amazing £5,000 per council. I can assure him they are not saying that in relation to the current issue. However, if the hon. Gentlemen do not want to be helped out now, I am sure that it will be better to allow more time for ministerial reflection and more time in which to work on them. I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Further consideration adjourned.—[Mr. Robert Ainsworth.]
Adjourned accordingly at one minute past Seven o'clock till Thursday 18 January 2001 at fifteen minutes to Ten o'clock.