PROVISION OF GENERAL LEGAL ADVICE ABOUT RESIDENTIAL TENANCIES (Hansard, 30 April 1996)

§ Mr. Clappison
I beg to move, That the clause be read a Second time.
In Committee, a number of hon. Members paid tribute to the work of the Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service. The service was established shortly after the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 came into force, with joint public and private sector 915 funding. Its principal role has been to provide initial information to landlords and tenants on the legislative provisions relating to leasehold enfranchisement. Since its inception, it has dealt with approximately 8, 000 inquiries.
The Government's commitment to the service has been to provide initial funding for three years, ending in December this year. That commitment will be honoured in full. The commitment was limited to three years because it was envisaged that a growing familiarity with the provisions of the Act would develop in that time. It was thought that leaseholders would be less in need of such an advice service, as a wider range of solicitors, valuers and practitioners would gain experience in that area.
However, in practice, the progress on enfranchisement has been less rapid than our initial expectations in some respects. Leaseholders have been exercising their rights to lease extension enfranchisement, and the leasehold valuation tribunals have been hearing a number of test cases and resolving disputes between landlords and tenants.
There is still a way to go and all parties are agreed that there is a useful role for an advice service to perform beyond the end of this year. A further factor is the new package of leaseholders' rights contained in the Bill. They involve new and, in some cases, necessarily complex procedures. The Government believe that there is further scope for an impartial advice service to help in that area.
The Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service has been funded for the first three years through the Department's special grants programme. Projects supported in that way are expected to generate matching private sector funding with public sector support. That funding would normally have been phased out after the initial three-year period. The purpose of the new clause is therefore to give the Secretary of State a specific power to provide financial support to an advice service dealing with landlord and tenant issues, on a more permanent footing. We shall still seek a substantial private sector contribution, but a further period of support under the special grants programme would not be appropriate.
My Department will shortly enter into detailed discussions with the Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service about how it envisages the development of its longer-term role. I make no commitment that the Department will defer the funding beyond the end of 1996, but we shall consider the case of the advisory service along with the other competing claims on my Department's resources. The new clause keeps open the possibility of longer-term funding of the service.

§ Mr. Raynsford
As the Minister said, new clause 11 was tabled in response to a case made in Committee. I am pleased to say that in Committee we had all-party support on the issue. The right hon. Member for City of London and Westminster, South (Mr. Brooke) and the hon. Member for North-West Leicestershire (Mr. Ashby) backed my calls on behalf of the Opposition for continuing funding of the Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service.
916 As the Minister rightly acknowledged, the service provides excellent, impartial advice to leaseholders on very complex matters relating to leasehold enfranchisement, and it receives an increasing number of requests for help on aspects that are currently outside its remit. There is, therefore, a case for not only continuous funding for the Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service, but a wider remit to enable it to deal with other leasehold matters, especially disputes relating to service charges and so on, which cause a great deal of concern to leaseholders and about which requests for help are made to the service.
As the Minister acknowledged, leasehold enfranchisement has not progressed as fast as the Government initially hoped. Whatever the reasons—some of which we shall explore in later debates—there is agreement on both sides of the House that we should assist enfranchisement. The provision of expert advisory services is a very important way of doing so.
The costs involved in obtaining expert assistance from lawyers and other professionals can be a very serious deterrent to leaseholders, and the availability of a free, expert service is, in my view and that of most people who have studied the matter, essential if the process of leasehold enfranchisement is to proceed. We shall explore other essential issues in later debates.
For all those reasons, we very much welcome the Government's decision to table the new clause. The Minister was cautious in what he said about how it may be applied. I understand that he cannot give a cast-iron commitment, but he is aware that, under current arrangements, the Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service does not have funding beyond the end of this year—a period of only eight months.
It is unreasonable for such a service, which provides valuable expertise to numerous leaseholders, to be unable to guarantee its continued operation more than eight months ahead. I hope that the Minister will move swiftly to enter the discussions that he described.

§ Mr. David Ashby (North-West Leicestershire)
The hon. Gentleman will appreciate that later amendments relate to further enfranchisement, about which more advice will be required. That makes the service even more important.

§ Mr. Raynsford
The hon. Gentleman makes a valid point. Not only is financial uncertainty hanging over the Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service, but the service is likely to have rather more work if, as a result of our considerations today, we substantially advance the opportunities for enfranchisement.
For all those reasons, I urge the Minister to enter into discussions urgently with all the parties, to try to ensure that the Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service has the necessary financial resources to maintain its service in the immediately foreseeable future and build on a stronger financial footing for the long term.

§ Mr. Peter Brooke (City of London and Westminster, South)
I shall be brief. My constituents enter on both sides of the equation, as advisers and advisees. I declared a tangential and anticipatory interest in Committee, and I declare the same interest now.
917 I thank my hon. Friend the Minister for the speed with which the Government have reacted. I only serve quiet notice that we shall maintain vigilance on the conduct of and developments in the conversations.

§ Mrs. Diana Maddock (Christchurch)
I welcome the Minister's commitment to examining the problem. In Committee, we expressed our appreciation of the valuable work done by the Leasehold Enfranchisement Advisory Service. I am only disappointed that the question whether and when it will definitely be funded remains open-ended. I hope that the Minister will consider the matter and come back to us as soon as possible. There is all-party support, and he is aware that people need advice desperately.
Hon. Members have pointed out that more advice will be sought in the future. As the costs and difficulties associated with often very complicated legal matters increase, people will need a proper advice service. I urge the Minister not to let the matter slide—although I am sure that hon. Members will ensure that he does not.