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Housing Corporation (Delegation) etc. Bill

My Lords, I will certainly write to the noble Baroness about this, because my advice is that delegated powers will apply whether or not the seal is used. However, she has asked me what sort of decisions might fall into the category and I am sure that I can give her a fuller answer in writing about that. The noble Baroness also asked me whether there are any other implications for other bodies that might find themselves in similar positions. We know that all our DCLG bodies are fine—we have checked that. The Cabinet Office wrote to all departments on 2 June asking them to check that their NDPBs were not in the same position, and requested that they take any further action as required. That is a recent development. I cannot give any detail on that, but maybe while the Bill progresses as fast as possible we shall inform the House about that. I think that I have answered all the specific questions but, if I have not, I shall add to the letter that I intend to write to the noble Baronesses opposite. I am grateful for this very helpful response and, indeed, the questions that the noble Baronesses have asked, because they have been very much to the point. The Bill is obviously being brought forward for the reasons that we know now, as a consequence of the discovery that the Housing Corporation did not have the implied power. It gives the express power to delegate, and deems the corporation always to have had such a power. It gives it the power to delegate below board level, which it was always assumed to have had, and so restores the status quo. It is essential to enable the Housing Corporation to function effectively again, to protect RSLs and their residents, and to reassure other stakeholders such as lenders and the financial regulator. I think that we all want to secure that. I am happy that we have had such positive contributions. We want to move quickly to reduce any anxiety and resolve the issues that have far-reaching ramifications for people doing very important work. As I have said, the Bill went unamended through the other place, and I hope that we will be able to secure that result here, too. It is the only practicable way in which to address the problem, and I am very grateful for the support. I wholeheartedly commend this Bill and invite the House to give it a Second Reading. On Question, Bill read a second time.