News
Lords sceptical of Gove's Section 21 evictions ban promise
Thursday 22nd February 2024
Nigel Lewis
Government minister gets a grilling about her boss's claim that 'no fault' evictions "will be outlawed before General Election".
Michael Gove's claim that Section 21 evictions will be banned before the General Election have been called into doubt during a lively debate in the Lords.
Gove said that by the General Election - which must take place before the end January 2025 but most likely before that, "we will have outlawed [Section 21 evictions] and we will have put the money into the courts in order to ensure that they can enforce that".
Shadow Housing Spokesperson Baroness Taylor of Stevenage pressed Penn on what was being done to make such a claim possible, given the Government has always said the ban will not come in until the courts are ready.
"In committee on the Renters (Reform) Bill, the minister has said that the ban cannot be enacted until court reforms are complete," said Baroness Taylor.
"Can the minister please set out what court reforms are to be put in place and the timetable for delivering them, so that the ban on Section 21 can be operational before a general election?"
Penn replied that by then it would have passed the Bill and put money into the courts to ensure it could enforce it.
But several peers showed scepticism about this claim, partly because it is the head of the judiciary, and not the Government, who decides where money is spent on the courts.
Penn added: "We need to allow time for the courts to prepare for this, to allow evictions, court rules, forms and administrative systems to be updated.
"It is also to allow for secondary legislation that flows from the primary legislation to be laid, and for guidance to be put in place.
"But we are working hard, and we have already provided upfront money to the court system to kick-start that process, so that we can move towards implementation as soon as possible."
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