Clause 4 - Removal of exemptions and repeals
Sustainable and Secure Buildings Bill
11:00 am
Mr Andrew Stunell (Chief Whip; Hazel Grove, Liberal Democrat)
The Minister has put many caveats around the clause, which is quite proper. However, as I said earlier, the Bill provides some enabling powers, but it does not prescribe exactly what should happen. There is a further consultative loop, a further
regulatory assessment and a further opportunity for the House to consider regulation. We are some way away from having something in place, and we need to consider the transparency of the information that is being collected.
I say to the hon. Member for Stafford that ultimately there may or may not be some additional cost. None the less, if the Bill is implemented in the way that I envisage, it will not result in the collection of more information. However, the information that is collected by the proper person under clause 6 will be more reliable and therefore more valuable for the purposes of subsequent inspection by prospective purchasers or building owners as a track record of what has been done. I hope that the Committee will feel that, on balance, the amendment is a valuable addition to the Bill and that it will support it.
Amendment agreed to.
Clause 4, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.