§ Mr. WilkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has received from the Association of Residential Letting Agents for a national private housing tenancy licensing scheme; and what response he gave to them. [45435]
§ Mr. RaynsfordI met the Chairman of the Association of Residential Letting Agents on 8 December 1997 to discuss their proposals for compulsory registration of all landlords and their properties in the private rented sector. I confirmed in my letter to him of 3 February that the Government are not persuaded that this would be either feasible or desirable because of the huge burden it would place on local authorities and the risk of discouraging sideline landlords from letting property. However, I reaffirmed our commitment to develop proposals for licensing Houses in Multiple Occupation where the risks to health and safety tend to be the greatest.