§ Mr. DewarTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he has any plans to introduce legislation to regulate the activities of estate agents in Scotland.
§ Mr. ForthI have been asked to reply.
The Estate Agents Act 1979 and its subordinate legislation already regulates the activities of estate agents in Scotland, as elsewhere in the United Kingdom. I announced on 19 April my intention to make, and lay before Parliament, orders under section 3 and regulations under section 18 of the Act to deal with malpractices by some estate agents and to add to the list of offences which can trigger banning action Official Report, columns 1009–10). Drafts of the orders and regulations, which will apply throughout the United Kingdom, were sent out on 18 June for consultation. It is also the Government's intention, as soon as legislative time is available, to amend the Trade Descriptions Act 1968, which applies to Scotland, to cover misdescription of property.