HC Deb 20 November 2003 vol 413 cc1424-5W
Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 11 September 2003,Official Report, column 391W, on estate agents, how many complaints have been (a) made, (b) investigated and (c) upheld by the Office of Fair Trading since 1 August; what action was taken in relation to each complaint upheld; and if she will make a statement. [139565]

Mr. Sutcliffe

[holding answer 19 November 2003]: The information is as follows:

  1. (a) The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) received 94 complaints about estate agents between 1 August and 14 November 2003.
  2. (b) All complaints are investigated in line with the OFT's statutory duty to superintend and enforce the Estate Agents Act 1979.
  3. (c) 23 complaints against estate agents have been upheld between 1 August and 14 November 2003.

16 of these have resulted in the issuing of Advisory Letters to estate agents reminding them of their statutory obligations. Seven have resulted in the issuing of warning letters advising the estate agents that if any further evidence of a failure to comply with their statutory obligations was to come to the attention of the OFT, consideration would be given to the taking of formal action including the possibility of them being banned from engaging in estate agency work. A number of the more complex and serious complaints received since 1 August is the subject of on-going investigations.

I now expect the OFT to publish its report on estate agents in the New Year. I will study the recommendations carefully.

Malcolm Bruce

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 11 September 2003,Official Report, column 380W, on estate agents, whether she has received the report of the Director General of Fair Trading; and when she expects to publish the report. [139810]

Mr. Sutcliffe

The information is as follows:

  1. (a) The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) received 94 complaints about estate agents between 1 August and 14 November 2003.
  2. (b) All complaints are investigated in line with the OFT's statutory duty to superintend and enforce the Estate Agents Act 1979.
  3. (c) 23 complaints against estate agents have been upheld between 1 August and 14 November 2003.

16 of these have resulted in the issuing of Advisory Letters to estate agents reminding them of their statutory obligations. Seven have resulted in the issuing of warning letters advising the estate agents that if any further evidence of a failure to comply with their statutory obligations was to come to the attention of the OFT, consideration would be given to the taking of formal action including the possibility of them being banned from engaging in estate agency work. A number of the more complex and serious complaints received since 1 August is the subject of on-going investigations.

I now expect the OFT to publish its report on estate agents in the New Year. I will study the recommendations carefully.

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