HC Deb 13 February 2004 vol 418 cc32-5W
Matthew Green

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a new cost-benefit analysis of a statutory tenancy deposit scheme in England, taking account of the interest generated on deposits held in a custodial scheme. [154995]

Yvette Cooper

In considering proposals for dealing with tenancy deposits and in preparing a response to the consultation that concluded a year ago the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister shall be revisiting the cost-benefit analysis on which the partial regulatory impact assessment that was included in the consultation paper.

Matthew Green

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate his Department has made of the(a) maximum and (b) minimum potential (i) benefit and (ii) cost of a tenancy deposit scheme. [154996]

Yvette Cooper

An analysis of the costs and benefits of providing for tenancy deposit protection was contained in a partial regulatory impact assessment included in the consultation paper published in November 2002. This suggested that against costs of £19 million there could be benefits of around £20 million. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is reviewing those estimates as the various elements of measures to safeguard deposits are assessed and we will do so against a range of assumptions.

Matthew Green

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the organisations attending the seminar held in December to discuss the case for linking legislation for compulsory measures to protect tenancy deposits to the Law Commission's findings. [154997]

Yvette Cooper

The following organisations attended:

  • Ashton Wingate Insurance
  • Association of Letting and Managing Agents
  • Association of Residential Letting Agents
  • Association of Student Residential Accommodation
  • Association of Tenancy Relations Officers
  • Brent London Borough
  • Brent Private Tenants
  • Brighton and Hove BC
  • British Property Federation
  • Camden London Borough
  • Council of Mortgage Lenders
  • Croydon London Borough
  • Empty Homes Agency
  • Hastings and Rother Bond Bank
  • HMO Network
  • Independent Housing Ombudsman
  • Islington London Borough
  • Law Commission
  • Legal Action group
    • 34W
  • Manchester City Council
  • NALS Homelet
  • National Approved Letting Scheme
  • National Association of Citizens Advice Bureau
  • National Association of Estate Agents
  • National Federation of Residential Landlords
  • National Union of Students
  • Newcastle New Deal
  • Office of Fair Trading
  • Shelter
  • Small Landlords Association
  • South Norfolk DC
  • The Chartered Institute of Housing
  • The Law Society
  • The Rent Service
  • The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
  • Thomas Winter Insurance
  • Universities UK

Matthew Green

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the estimated cost of a tenancy deposit scheme took account of the proportion of cases requiring adjudication in(a) the pilot schemes and (b) other countries. [155212]

Yvette Cooper

The consultation paper on tenancy deposits contained a partial regulatory impact assessment that took account of the costs involved in the pilot tenancy deposit scheme managed by the Independent Housing Ombudsman. In the subsequent final period of the pilot the proportion of cases requiring adjudication has grown. Although international experiences make a useful comparison they are unlikely to provide a robust method of estimating what might happen in this country because of cultural differences such as attitudes to litigation. The circumstances in other countries may also reflect significant differences in the housing market, not least of all in the way in which it is regulated.

Monday 23 February 2004