Written question asked by Bridget Prentice (Labour) on Tuesday, 4 February 2003, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 11 February 2003. It was answered by Melanie Johnson (Labour) on Tuesday, 11 February 2003 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, (a) how many terms and (b) what type of terms were revised in the Blyth Valley Borough Council tenancy agreement, as reported in the Office of Fair Trading's Unfair Contract Terms bulletin number 18.

Answer: Ms Bridget Prentice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (a) how many terms and (b) what type of terms were revised in the Blyth Valley Borough Council tenancy agreement, as reported in the Office of Fair Trading's Unfair Contract Terms bulletin number 18. [96569] Miss Melanie Johnson: I have been asked to reply. The published Bulletin shows that 10 terms were revised following action by the Director General of Fair Trading. The terms revised were those considered to have some potential for unfairness. They included clauses binding tenants to other hidden terms, a potential financial penalty, exclusions or limitations on the legal rights of the tenant, an unrestricted right to increase the rent, a term allowing the Council excessive discretion to decide whether the tenant was in breach of the agreement, a term unfairly transferring risk to the tenant and a term which did not meet the requirement that terms be written in plain language.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 96569; 399 c650W;399 c648W
Session: 2002-03
Subjects: Council housing Office of Fair Trading Tenancy agreements Unfair practices Blyth Valley
Link: View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk