Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 (Consequential Provisions) Order 2008

I welcome this order. I inquire, however, partly for historical reasons, whether the arrangements which are made more effective in Scotland as a result of the order were subject to discussion with the Government before the implementation of the Housing (Scotland) Act. As the Minister said, this is a good example of co-operation with the Scottish Executive, but I take it that Her Majesty’s Government do not simply try to rationalise something of this nature after the event, particularly, as the noble Duke said, when there was some controversy about the substance of it in the context of the English debate. There is a great deal of sense in consumer protection matters being decided on a United Kingdom basis; indeed, there may even be sense in consumer protection law becoming more standard across the entire European Union. It would not worry me unduly if that were the trend, because consumers have a right to have a simple system of protection that is as widespread as possible where they are likely to be making purchases or sales. Of course, many people now purchase second homes in countries overseas, where standards of protection are not necessarily the same, but that goes wide of the order. It is a matter of some interest to know whether the substance of the home report to which the Minister helpfully referred was sprung as a surprise on the Government or whether there was a consultative period prior to implementation of the Act. I can see no possible disadvantage in the provisions of the order, which beefs up considerably the effectiveness of the provisions for reports and acts as a strong disincentive to give shoddy or inadequate valuations and reports. I welcome the order in those terms.