Clause 44 - Licensing of HMOs to which this Part applies
Housing Bill
2:30 pm
Mr Robert Syms (Poole, Conservative)
Thank you, Mr. Pike. It is nice to see you back in the Chair as we move to the next part of the Bill. It is about houses in multiple occupation, which stirred up passions among many hon. Members who spoke on Second Reading, some of whom are members of the Committee. Indeed, the provision stirred up passions among some landlords who sometimes do not believe that they receive a fair crack of the whip.
Amendment No. 249 is simple; it would delete ''the following'' HMOs and insert ''all'' HMOs. It is a probing amendment and provides a good opportunity for the Government to explain briefly why they want to restrict the scope of the licensing regime as they have
in the Bill, when so many other organisations are involved in such matters. We all receive e-mails and have full postbags of letters from various campaigning groups that consider that the Bill is drawn too narrowly. Although it will be possible for local authorities to license some of the smaller HMOs voluntarily, at what point will the line be drawn? However, as we shall see from the Liberal amendment, there is a difference of opinion.
Many of us, particularly those who have student populations in their constituencies, have been lobbied by student organisations, which are a little upset that they have been excluded from the Bill. About 260,000 students live in university halls of residence and a further 800,000 students live in private rented accommodation, some of which is good and some less good. Students have made a powerful case to me that their accommodation should be covered.
Our amendment gives the Minister an opportunity to set out why the Government have decided to draw the line where they have. It might enable members of the Committee to elaborate on some topics to which I have referred. It is an important probing amendment. We must draw the line somewhere, but such matters were a major part of our debate on Second Reading—indeed, at the beginning of this part of the Bill, when we are talking of first principles before reaching the nitty-gritty, it is appropriate to ask important questions, because once the line is drawn and the Bill moves on, many people will be asking why. The amendment gives us an opportunity to place on the record the reasons why the Government have reached such conclusions.