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Energy Bill [HL]

I thank the Committee. This is a probing amendment to look at the powers of local authorities regarding sanctions and the non-letting of properties where landlords have failed to make the required energy efficiency improvements. Clearly, landlords need to be given a reasonable length of time to comply, and that must be built into the notice. We should look at this in the light of later clauses. Imposing a fine on a landlord who has failed to comply is not always the best way to proceed. If a landlord is fined for not complying with energy efficiency improvements, he has to recoup the money he has been fined and the energy efficiency of the property will not be improved. The council could seek to undertake the work and put a charge on the landlord through the Green Deal, through rent or by other means. It seems to me that where a landlord does not comply, it is necessary to make a range of compliance tools available to local authorities, giving them a number of options to take up depending on the circumstances. I am rather reluctant to follow the line of fining landlords or seeking to remove properties from letting as the first course of action. Every case has to be looked at on its merits. As I have said, this is a probing amendment to look at what the Minister envisages in this regard. What kind of tools does he consider could be made available to local authorities to ensure that energy efficiency measures are implemented within a reasonable and appropriate timescale? I beg to move.