Rental Properties: Smoke Alarms

Lord McKenzie of Luton Excerpts

Thursday 8th May 2014 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Stowell of Beeston]

My noble friend tempts me off the topic of the Question. However, I agree with what he says on that matter.

[Lord McKenzie of Luton (Lab)]

Does the noble Baroness agree that it is unbecoming for a Minister to encourage misrepresentation of our proposals? We are arguing not for old-style rent controls for the private rented sector but for more stability and security, with three-year tenancies being the norm, and with initial rents being set on a market-value basis for the full three-year tenancy but with an upper ceiling on any increases. Given that we now have 9 million people in the private rented sector, does the Minister agree that Generation Rent would welcome the stability that our proposals would bring?

[Baroness Stowell of Beeston]

The Question is about smoke alarms. It is worth noting that the noble Lord did not acknowledge that this Government listened to the debates in this House and are looking into whether smoke alarms should be made mandatory, which was something that his party did not do when it was in government.