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Housing and Regeneration Bill

I only wish I could. However, I do not believe that what the Minister has described will happen; it has not in the past 11 years. How can councils start to build houses and keep all the rent when 75 per cent. of the right-to-buy money goes to the Government, whereas a housing association would keep it all, and when millions of pounds in rent— £4 million this year in Chesterfield—goes to the Government, whereas a housing association would keep it all? Right to buy takes away from councils that guaranteed revenue flow from rents, whereas housing associations are not subject to the right to buy in respect of most of their stock, apart from that subject to immediate transfer. Councils have no security and income in that respect and cannot apply for social housing grant. Why can the Minister not accept new clause 8 and put housing associations and councils on a level financial playing field?