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Housing and Regeneration Bill

I should also like to dispel the myth that registered social landlords are evil incarnate; I do not think that they are. I am keen to see more bang for the public buck. If housing associations can provide extra resources and extra homes and improved services, with the ability to gear up private financing, that should not be dismissed. When we took evidence during the Public Bill Committee sittings in December, Alan Walter of Defend Council Housing said in response to a direct question from me that he did not think that private borrowing was bad and that it should be encouraged as much as possible. That was entirely right. Before I go on to the important point about levelling the playing field, I give way to my hon. Friend the Member for Hayes and Harlington.