Clause 67 - Designation of selective licensing areas
Housing Bill
10:45 am
Mr John Hayes (South Holland and The Deepings, Conservative)
That is a fair point. When I looked for the means of raising such an important matter, I found that there was no easy or convenient way in which to do so in the Bill. I looked under the selective licensing, additional licensing and mandatory licensing provisions for ways in which such an argument could be made. Matters are coming to a head: I am to have meetings this weekend about it. A private Member's Bill has been drafted on the licensing of gangmasters. The hon. Lady reminded me that such an argument has been raised in the House by other hon. Members.
The Bill is highly pertinent to such issues because it deals with the licensing of houses in multiple occupation, in large part for the purposes of dealing with the exploitation of vulnerable people. There could be no more appropriate Bill in which to raise the important issue of the exploitation of people. Members of the Committee will recognise what I have tried to do, yet there is no convenient or easy way of doing it through the Bill. Frankly, it is not specifically designed to do the job that I have described, although in general terms it probably is the right vehicle by which to create a bridge across employment and immigration, as well as housing.
The Employment Service, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the immigration service are working in concert to consider how the exploitation that I have described is being perpetuated. Specific targeted approaches are being employed in parts of the country where it is most prevalent. I have already mentioned my area: until we get the housing and the local government aspects right, we will not bottom out. It is scandalous that some rogue landlords are specialising—I use that word again—in identifying the people whom they know are least able to defend their own interests.
The hon. Member for Regent's Park and Kensington, North referred to ethnicity. I am not suggesting that such problems are limited to one part of the world. People are being drawn in from all parts of the world. The range of countries from which the people are being trafficked is extraordinary. Well-established networks often send out people to the country of origin to identify vulnerable people and bring them into this country. My hon. Friend the Member for South-West Bedfordshire mentioned such cases earlier. I repeat: I have heard stories of people
who are charged massive rents, who receive low wages and who live in extraordinary overcrowded conditions, enduring all the risks associated with such circumstances and all of the horrors that one can imagine.
I shall continue to raise the issue. I accept that the amendment is highly imperfect—an even bigger concession than I have made already. I am pleased that we have had the debate. I hope that the Ministers will take away the proposals that have been made, work with their colleagues in other parts of the Government and consider ways in which to create additional powers to deal with an entirely unacceptable exploitation of vulnerable people.
Richard Younger-Ross (Teignbridge) (LD) rose—
Mr. Davey rose—