Clause 4 - Inspections by local housing authorities to see whether category 1 or 2 hazards exist
Housing Bill
10:15 am
Mr Robert Syms (Poole, Conservative)
Yes; the Minister has gone a long way towards reassuring me on the concerns that I raised.
One other small point arises about official or other complaints. Presumably figures will have to be collected on official complaints. If a JP phoned a housing authority and said, ''I believe there's a problem with some housing in multiple occupation'', would the authority not be tempted to say, ''Don't make it official, Fred. We'll go and inspect it''? I raise the issue because it has just crossed my mind—[Laughter.] Would a housing authority want lots of official complaints? I gave the example of HMOs, which might be in the area that the authority was supposed to inspect, but the overall figures for official complaints might bear no relation to the state of housing in the area because of the way in which local people use the complaints procedure. Anyway, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Clause 4 ordered to stand part of the Bill.