Clause 71 - Notification of nominated key-holders
Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Bill
10:30 am
Ms Sue Doughty (Shadow Minister (the Environment), Environment, Food & Rural Affairs; Guildford, Liberal Democrat)
The Minister touched on this matter in his remarks on previous clauses. We would like more information. In paragraph 13(2) of schedule 3 to the Noise and Statutory Nuisance Act 1993, it states that
''key-holders'', in relation to an alarm, means—
(a) two persons, other than the occupier of the premises . . . or
(b) a company which holds keys sufficient to obtain access to those premises, from which those keys can be obtained at any time''.
The Minister suggested that a requirement for two key holders in a rural area might be excessive. I understand his concern about that. In London two key holders are specified—but there are other place apart from London, as the Minister pointed out. Surely it would be better to allow councils to decide on the number of key holders, rather than arbitrarily to provide that there should be one or two. A council might want a requirement for only one key holder in an alarm notification area in a rural place.