§ Lords Amendment No. 39: In page 39, line 42, after "premises" insert "and landlord's costs".
§ Mr. SkeffingtonI beg to move, That this House doth agree with the Lords in the said Amendment.
Perhaps I may conveniently refer at the same time to Amendment No. 40, in page 39, line 43, after "agent" insert "or as stakeholder". These two Amendments, which are virtually drafting Amendments, meet points arising out of the consideration now being given to the content of regulations to be made by the Lord Chancellor under Clause 22(2). Amendment No. 39 ensures that, if the regulations provide for the leaseholder to pay a deposit at some stage between the service of notice to enfranchise and completion of the transaction, this deposit is to be on account of the landlord's costs as well as on account of the price. Otherwise, a landlord would not be entitled to get back his costs if the leaseholder at a later stage did not carry on with the transaction under Clause 9. This seems only fair and proper.
Amendment No. 40 recognises a point made by the Law Society, that deposits are, in modern practice, often paid to stakeholders. It will enable the Lord Chancellor to provide for payment of a deposit to a stakeholder if he so wishes.
§ Question put and agreed to.
§ Subsequent Lords Amendments agreed to.