24/02/2010 - Minimum insulation standards needed
Private landlords should be penalised for not insulating their houses and flats, an MP has claimed.
Labour's Tony Lloyd said rules should be introduced to ensure landlords meet minimum insulation standards to protect their tenants from the cold. People had become ill and in some cases died while living in rented accommodation in the UK with no basic heating and insulation, according to the MP for Manchester Central.
He told the Commons that a "minimum thermal efficiency standard" should be rolled-out for privately rented properties - with both incentives and penalties for landlords. He also claimed that laws should be introduced stopping properties in need of improvement from being put up for rent.
Introducing his Rental Accommodation (Thermal Insulation Standards) Bill he said: "There are hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens who live in homes that are badly heated. These homes are badly heated because the insulation is grossly inadequate. We must bring those standards up ... for reasons of social welfare and health." His Bill gained an unopposed first reading but stands little chance of becoming law due to a lack of parliamentary time.
Copyright © Press Association 2010
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