The Government is rethinking its controversial proposal to enforce seller’s packs with criminal sanctions.
The Government still wants the measure to be compulsory, but housing minister Lord Falconer said that he is prepared to consider alternatives to making non-compliance a criminal act.
Speaking at the fourth Property Forum dinner, Denis Purshouse, assistant policy adviser at the DTLR, said: “The sellers pack is not dead. It’s not even sleeping.
“We will be back – before the end of next year – with a more complete set of proposals to put before Parliament.
“There were good reasons for proposing criminal sanctions in the Homes Bill. But Lord Falconer is a pragmatist.
“He will have the job of steering the legislation through parliament next time and has asked us to look at this again,” he said.
“We are not wedded to criminal sanctions and the Government will consider alternatives, provided they are workable and do the job.”
EGi News 26/10/01
