THE Government renewed a pledge to crack down on rogue estate agents by introducing a compulsory complaints system.
But it warned that it would be at least a year before new laws could be introduced to protect homebuyers and sellers. Trade and Industry spoke-sman Lord McKenzie of Luton supported the aims of a Bill put forward by Labour's Lord Dubs to force estate agents to take part. However, he insisted more work was needed.
to develop an effective solution and there was not room for the former minister's Bill in a packed legislative timetable.
Ministers were foiled by legal rules in a bid to use last year's Housing Act to introduce the new regime - with its redress system being restricted to complaints about the new sellers' packs.
An attempt by an MP to push a similar Bill through the Commons was thwarted by the General Election and no backbenchers could be found after May willing to try to steer through a DTI-prepared Bill, he added.
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