HC Deb 22 October 2003 vol 411 cc568-9W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proportion of(a) landlords and (b) tenants have signed up to the voluntary tenancy deposit pilot scheme. [133605]

Keith Hill

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister estimates that 16,000 tenancies were covered by the voluntary tenancy deposit pilot scheme. Not all of these were located strictly within the five pilot areas, so that the estimated take-up rate of 7 per cent. is subject to a margin of error.

Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment his Department has made of the value of making membership of a tenancy deposit scheme a legal requirement for(a) landlords and (b) tenants. [133606]

Keith Hill

Last autumn, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister issued a consultation paper on options for Government intervention in landlords' and letting agents' handling of tenancy monies. This included an assessment of having a mandatory scheme (or schemes). The assessment was based partly on the evaluation of the pilot Tenancy Deposit Scheme carried out by the University of York.

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