Part 5: Housing, Estate Agents and Rentcharges: Other Changes Enforcement of estate agents legislation Section 132: Estate agents: lead enforcement authority
Subsections (1) and (2) insert into the Estate Agents Act 1979 new section 24A. Section 24A(1) makes the Secretary of State the lead enforcement authority for the purposes of the Estate Agents Act 1979.  Section 24A(2) gives the Secretary of State the power to make arrangements for a trading standards authority to carry out the functions of the lead enforcement authority.
	New section 24A(3)(a) makes clear that the Secretary of State may make payment to a trading standards authority to carry out the functions of the lead authority.  Section 24A(3)(b) provides that any arrangements made by the Secretary of State are not permanent.
	Subsection (3) amends section 33(1) of the Estate Agents Act 1979 so that the lead enforcement authority is defined as the Secretary of State or a trading standards authority who is carrying out the functions of the lead enforcement authority pursuant to arrangements made under section 24A of the Estate Agents Act 1979.
	Subsection (4) amends paragraph 13(9) of Schedule 5 to the Consumer Rights Act 2015 to provide the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland and the Secretary of State with powers in relation to the production of information which could be used to carry out the functions of the lead enforcement authority.
	Client money protection schemes for property agents