HL Deb 23 July 1990 vol 521 cc1255-6

7.10 p.m.

The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Belstead)

My Lords, I have it in command from Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to acquaint the House that they, having been informed of the purport of the Landlord and Tenant (Licensed Premises) Bill have consented to place their prerogatives and interests, so far as they are affected by the Bill, at the disposal of Parliament for the purposes of the Bill.

Viscount Ullswater

My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a third time.

Moved, That the Bill be read a third time.—(Viscount Ullswater.)

Lord Williams of Elvel

My Lords, since there are no amendments it is perhaps appropriate that we say farewell to the Bill in the appropriate manner. It is a somewhat sad little Bill. It has had an eventful passage in another place and in your Lordships' House. It has a narrow purpose, a purpose which could have been expanded in another place and might well have been extended in the House had it been possible. It is designed entirely to repeal a provision in the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. As far as it goes—I place some emphasis on those words—we welcome it. It gives the extra protection to the tenants of licensed premises that the MMC argued in its report should be given. We shall see what happens when the Bill, as amended, returns to another place.

Viscount Ullswater

My Lords, the Bill and the purpose behind it have been debated extensively in your Lordships' House and in another place. It seeks to place tenants of licensed premises on the same footing as other business tenants, as the noble Lord, Lord Williams of Elvel, has said. I am aware that some noble Lords on the Benches opposite wanted to go further in a number of respects and provide for a special class of protection for public house tenants. We have explained our view that that would not be in the long-term interest of the tenancy system. Distortions and the balance of rights of landlords and tenants would undermine the commercial viability of tenancies for landlords. If it were no longer worth while to maintain tenancies, landlords would increasingly look to alternative uses for property.

The matter of compensation has caused some difficulty but we are shortly to consider a further Bill to be introduced by the noble Lord, Lord Williams of Elvel. In the circumstances, I commend the Bill.

On Question, Bill read a third time.

Viscount Ullswater

My Lords, I beg to move that the Bill do now pass.

Moved, That the Bill do now pass.—(Viscount Ullswater.)

On Question, Bill passed, and returned to the Commons with an amendment.