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Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill

I wish to intervene briefly in this debate. I have come into the Chamber for the scrap metal debate but it seems to me that we may be overlooking a major flaw in the amendment. Clause 145 states: "““A person commits an offence if””," and then lists various conditions. However, the amendment seeks to add to the statement in the Bill that, "““The offence is not committed by a person””," the phrase, "““if the building has been empty twelve months or more and is not subject to a current planning application””." So what happens if a building has been empty for marginally longer than 12 months and is being improved? Perhaps it is being improved to meet building regulations, or the person improving the property might be awaiting a mortgage payment to fund improvements, which might mean that they go over the 12-month period.