“(1) A relevant person must not, in relation to a dwelling that is to be let on a relevant tenancy—

(a) on the basis that a person is a benefits claimant, prevent the person from—

(i) enquiring whether the dwelling is available for let,

(ii) accessing information about the dwelling,

(iii) viewing the dwelling in order to consider whether to seek to rent it, or

(iv) entering into a tenancy of the dwelling, or

(b) apply a provision, criterion or practice in order to make benefits claimants less likely to enter into a tenancy of the dwelling than people who are not benefits claimants.

(2) Subsection (1) does not apply if the relevant person can show that the prospective landlord of the dwelling, or a person who would be a superior landlord in relation to the dwelling, is insured under a contract of insurance—

(a) to which section (

(b) which contains a term which makes provision (however expressed) requiring the insured to prohibit a tenant under a relevant tenancy from being a benefits claimant,

and the conduct is a means of preventing the prospective landlord from breaching that term.

(3) Conduct does not breach the prohibition in subsection (1) if it consists only of—

(a) one or more of the following things done by a person who does nothing in relation to the dwelling that is not mentioned in this paragraph—

(i) publishing advertisements or disseminating information;

(ii) providing a means by which a prospective landlord can communicate directly with a prospective tenant;

(iii) providing a means by which a prospective tenant can communicate directly with a prospective landlord, or

(b) things of a description, or things done by a person of a description, specified for the purposes of this section in regulations made by the Secretary of State.”—

This new clause bans landlords and those who act on their behalf or purport to do so from adopting certain discriminatory practices which make it harder for people who are on benefits to obtain a relevant tenancy. This and other new clauses relating to discriminatory practices in relation to the grant of tenancies are expected to form a new Chapter 2A of Part 1 of the Bill. Other new clauses make similar provision for Wales.

Brought up, read the First and Second time, and added to the Bill.