§ Mr. LepperTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he expects to publish a draft bill on the reform of forfeiture. [40407]
§ Mr. WillsThe Law Commission published a draft Termination of Tenancies Bill in 1994. It proposed the abolition of a landlord's right to terminate a tenancy by physical re-entry and by way of a court order for possession. A subsequent Law Commission consultative document reiterated the proposal to abolish all means of forfeiture. It also proposed, in relation to commercial properties only, that either the original proposals stand or that there should be a statutory right in very limited circumstances for a landlord physically to re-enter the property. The majority of responses to the consultation favoured the second option.
The Law Commission expects to publish a revised draft Bill in 2003.
§ Mr. LepperTo ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the scope is of the inquiry into forfeiture being carried out by the Law Commission; and when he expects the Law Commission to publish the results of its inquiry. [40406]
§ Mr. WillsThe scope of the current work being carried out by the Law Commission is
That an examination be made of the law relating to the termination of tenancies, to facilitate the implementation of the report previously published [Landlord and Tenant Law, Termination of Tenancies Bill, 1994 Law Corn No 221], with a view to modernising and simplification of the law in this area".The Law Commission is currently reconsidering the draft Bill (attached to the 1994 report) in order that it might be brought into line with changes in civil court procedure, the enactment of the Human Rights Act 1998 and changes in case law.
The Law Commission expects that the result of this work will be published in final form in 2003.