HC Deb 20 May 1935 vol 302 cc104-5
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL

I beg to move, in page 8, line 14, at the end, to insert: and includes, in relation to an occupier of a dwelling-house who holds under a contract of employment under which the provision of the house for his occupation forms part of his remuneration, this employer, and 'agent' means, in relation to the landlord of a dwelling-house a person who collects rent in respect thereof on behalf of the landlord or is authorised by him so to do, or, in the case of a dwelling-house occupied by a person who holds as aforesaid, a person who pays remuneration to the occupier on behalf of the employer or is authorised by him so to do. This Amendment of the definition Clause deals with two matters. The first part of the Amendment deals with the case where the employer provides a tied house as part of the remuneration or consideration in respect of the services rendered. As the Bill was originally drafted, the word "landlord" did not cover that case, and the Committee upstairs thought that it was right that it should, and my right hon. Friend agreed. The second part of the Amendment deals with the agent who is defined in the Amendment as the person who collects rent on behalf of the landlord or is authorised by him.

7.59 p.m.

Mr. DUNCAN

I raised this point on the Committee stage, and I am very glad that the Solicitor-General and the Government have moved the Amendment. I said that the words in the Bill originally were either too simple or too good to be true, and this more complicated definition, I think, adequately meets the point. "Landlord" is a difficult term to define, but now we know that it is the immediate tenant or the sub-tenant who is to collect the rent, and I think that that adequately meets the point.

Amendment agreed to.

8.0 p.m.

Mr. SHAKESPEARE

I beg to move, in page 8, line 22, to leave out from "being," to "a," in line 23.

The Committee will see that this is a definition Clause. The definition of "suitable alternative accommodation" is satisfied if the house is provided by a local authority, but, if it is not provided by a local authority, it must be certified. to be suitable to the needs of the occupier and his family as respects security of tenure and proximity to place of work and to be suitable in relation to his means. During the discussion upstairs it was thought unwise to differentiate in the definition between a, house provided by a local authority and a house provided by private enterprise, and it is thought better that in each case the local authority should certify that the alternative accommodation provided is suitable to the needs of the occupier and his family, etc., etc.

Amendment agreed to.