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Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill [HL]

My Lords, I support the amendment although I shall reserve my comments about lettings until we reach the next amendment. I declare an interest in that I am in the process of trying to sell a property and buy one, so I have direct experience of a number of estate agents. But perhaps those anecdotes should be recounted in the bar rather than in the House. My noble friend the Minister is very lucky that the NAEA seeks to raise standards through qualifications not in order to impose a closed shop but simply to improve the reputation and standing of the industry so that people like me can be provided with a better service when buying or selling a property. I should say that I am getting a good service; I do not want to cause myself more difficulties. It seems to me that the NAEA has made a sensible suggestion. I understand that since the launch of the scheme some 2,500 people have passed the NAEA’s technical qualification. That has opened up access to the industry, has encouraged younger people to come in and is a way of raising standards. This measure seems to me a good ideaand I hope that my noble friend will consider it sympathetically.