To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many successful prosecutions there have been for personal injury insurance fraud in the last 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many successful prosecutions there have been for personal injury insurance fraud in the last 12 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the efficacy of the mechanism by which the financial savings from her Department's proposed reform to personal injury claims will be returned to consumers by insurance companies; and how her Department will collate evidence to ensure...

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment she has made of the efficacy of the mechanism by which the financial savings from her Department's proposed reform to personal injury claims will be returned to consumers by insurance companies; and how her Department will collate evidence to ensure...

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2017 to Question 68479, on Compass: contacts, if she will make an estimate of the number of service providers that cover the cost of landlord insurance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 23 March 2017 to Question 68479, on Compass: contacts, if she will make an estimate of the number of service providers that cover the cost of landlord insurance.

My right honourable friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice has made the following Written Statement:

"As I committed on 27^th February, when I set the new discount rate, I am today launching a six week consultation on how the Personal Injury Discount Rate, used to help calculate...

My right honourable friend the Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice has made the following Written Statement:

"As I committed on 27^th February, when I set the new discount rate, I am today launching a six week consultation on how the Personal Injury Discount Rate, used to help calculate...

As I committed on 27^th February, when I set the new discount rate, I am today launching a six week consultation on how the Personal Injury Discount Rate, used to help calculate lump sum payments of damages in personal injury claims, should be set in the future. The consultation document...

As I committed on 27^th February, when I set the new discount rate, I am today launching a six week consultation on how the Personal Injury Discount Rate, used to help calculate lump sum payments of damages in personal injury claims, should be set in the future. The consultation document...

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness and the noble Lord, Lord Palmer of Childs Hill, for their time and commitment to the client money protection review. I am pleased to announce that the Government intend to make client money protection mandatory in line with the recommendation of the review chaired by the noble Baroness and the noble Lord, Lord Palmer of Childs Hill. This will ensure that every agent is offering the same level of protection, giving tenants and landlords the financial protection that they deserve. The Government will consult on how mandatory client money protection should be implemented and enforced.

My Lords, I thank the noble Baroness and the noble Lord, Lord Palmer of Childs Hill, for their time and commitment to the client money protection review. I am pleased to announce that the Government intend to make client money protection mandatory in line with the recommendation of the review chaired by the noble Baroness and the noble Lord, Lord Palmer of Childs Hill. This will ensure that every agent is offering the same level of protection, giving tenants and landlords the financial protection that they deserve. The Government will consult on how mandatory client money protection should be implemented and enforced.

Well, that has taken the wind out of my sails. Will the Minister accept my thanks? The House will recall that we put into the Housing and Planning Act the reserve power to do this but at that point the Government were not quite convinced. However, as the Minister said, along with the noble Lord, Lord Palmer, we did the report, and the recommendation was published only yesterday. Today’s news is really good for tenants and landlords. It means that if any letting agent goes bust or makes off, the client’s money is safe. I hope the Minister will accept my thanks.

Well, that has taken the wind out of my sails. Will the Minister accept my thanks? The House will recall that we put into the Housing and Planning Act the reserve power to do this but at that point the Government were not quite convinced. However, as the Minister said, along with the noble Lord, Lord Palmer, we did the report, and the recommendation was published only yesterday. Today’s news is really good for tenants and landlords. It means that if any letting agent goes bust or makes off, the client’s money is safe. I hope the Minister will accept my thanks.

My Lords, I certainly will. That was a typically gracious response from the noble Baroness. It was a very well-reasoned report. Many people had been called to give evidence, so it was very strongly evidence-based. As I say, we will be consulting on implementation and enforcement. I am sure that we can talk about it in the meantime.

My Lords, I certainly will. That was a typically gracious response from the noble Baroness. It was a very well-reasoned report. Many people had been called to give evidence, so it was very strongly evidence-based. As I say, we will be consulting on implementation and enforcement. I am sure that we can talk about it in the meantime.

My Lords, I have had a little more time to get some wind in my sails. I thank everybody who took part in this review: my

co-chair, the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, the ministry and the civil servants, who were incredibly helpful. However, the review raises ongoing questions for the Government to tackle. For instance, enforcement is a key to success. Will the Minister tell us what he intends to do about the recommendation in the report that the Government consider,

“authorising a prime authority for enforcement, recognising CMP schemes and providing up to date information”?

Without that, the mandatory scheme will not have teeth.

My Lords, I have had a little more time to get some wind in my sails. I thank everybody who took part in this review: my

co-chair, the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, the ministry and the civil servants, who were incredibly helpful. However, the review raises ongoing questions for the Government to tackle. For instance, enforcement is a key to success. Will the Minister tell us what he intends to do about the recommendation in the report that the Government consider,

“authorising a prime authority for enforcement, recognising CMP schemes and providing up to date information”?

Without that, the mandatory scheme will not have teeth.

My Lords, once again I thank the noble Lord for the part he has played in this. He asked specifically about one aspect of the consultation. As I say, we will be consulting on enforcement and implementation. He rightly draws attention to the fact that on occasion there has been a prime authority in this sort of area supervising the enforcement—Powys was an example used in the review, although in this instance, because it is England only, it cannot be Powys. A strong case has been made out, but of course we will be consulting on it.

My Lords, once again I thank the noble Lord for the part he has played in this. He asked specifically about one aspect of the consultation. As I say, we will be consulting on enforcement and implementation. He rightly draws attention to the fact that on occasion there has been a prime authority in this sort of area supervising the enforcement—Powys was an example used in the review, although in this instance, because it is England only, it cannot be Powys. A strong case has been made out, but of course we will be consulting on it.

My Lords, is it not essential in producing this final scheme that it should be as fair and as protected as the deposit protection schemes which exist for tenants’ deposits at present? In particular, there needs to be some kind of recognition that estate agents have to receive money in order to get the security checks, references and other things they need. They have to be carefully considered as well. It has to be fair to all parties.

My Lords, is it not essential in producing this final scheme that it should be as fair and as protected as the deposit protection schemes which exist for tenants’ deposits at present? In particular, there needs to be some kind of recognition that estate agents have to receive money in order to get the security checks, references and other things they need. They have to be carefully considered as well. It has to be fair to all parties.

My Lords, it certainly does need to be fair to all parties. The evidence from the consultation was that about 85%, if I am not mistaken, backed the need for enforcement in this area, so that obviously was a key factor. I agree with my noble friend that the consultation will need to ensure that it is fair and equitable across a wide variety of people.

My Lords, it certainly does need to be fair to all parties. The evidence from the consultation was that about 85%, if I am not mistaken, backed the need for enforcement in this area, so that obviously was a key factor. I agree with my noble friend that the consultation will need to ensure that it is fair and equitable across a wide variety of people.

My Lords, I declare my interest as the chair of the council of the Property Ombudsman, which deals with complaints about managing and letting agents. I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, on her persistence in pursuing this matter and congratulate the Government on yielding to that persistence. Would the Minister agree that the value of this is not just about protecting landlords if agents go off with the money but about weeding out the more dubious and dodgy managing and letting agents because they will not be able to get the insurance that will now be mandatory?

My Lords, I declare my interest as the chair of the council of the Property Ombudsman, which deals with complaints about managing and letting agents. I congratulate the noble Baroness, Lady Hayter, on her persistence in pursuing this matter and congratulate the Government on yielding to that persistence. Would the Minister agree that the value of this is not just about protecting landlords if agents go off with the money but about weeding out the more dubious and dodgy managing and letting agents because they will not be able to get the insurance that will now be mandatory?

My Lords, I agree with the noble Lord. First, yielding to persuasive argument always seems to be the best and most sensible course to pursue, but I also agree with him about the importance of taking account of all those views and ensuring in the consultation that we act equitably and fairly across the piece.

My Lords, I agree with the noble Lord. First, yielding to persuasive argument always seems to be the best and most sensible course to pursue, but I also agree with him about the importance of taking account of all those views and ensuring in the consultation that we act equitably and fairly across the piece.

Examination of witnesses. Written evidence reported to the House.

Examination of witnesses. Written evidence reported to the House.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make membership of a client money protection scheme mandatory for letting and managing agents.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will make membership of a client money protection scheme mandatory for letting and managing agents.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is the responsibility of (a) the contractor or (b) the landlord to cover the cost of landlord insurance under the Compass system.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether it is the responsibility of (a) the contractor or (b) the landlord to cover the cost of landlord insurance under the Compass system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the indemnity provided by his Department to private land owners who make their land available for military training activities provides full cover to ensure the land area has no liability for claims arising from such training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the indemnity provided by his Department to private land owners who make their land available for military training activities provides full cover to ensure the land area has no liability for claims arising from such training.