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Housing and Regeneration Bill

I had not intended to speak to this group of amendments, as I wanted right hon. and hon. Members to be able to contribute to the debate. If I may, however, I would like to make a few points. I am genuinely excited by this part of the Bill and I really believe that the Homes and Communities Agency will be the vehicle to help us to build 3 million homes by 2020, playing a key role in the regeneration of our infrastructure and our communities. Indeed, the agency's ability to hit—or should that be ““break””?—the ground and deliver is absolutely key to our housing policy. I stress, however, that it is not just about improving the supply and quality of housing in England, as clause 2 reinforces the importance of the regeneration or development of land, infrastructure and communities, which was touched on by the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Martin Horwood). I pay particular tribute to my hon. Friend the Member for City of Durham (Dr. Blackman-Woods), who argued in Committee that we needed to go further in respect of the agency's responsibilities for sustainable development. I undertook to consider the matter in more detail, including whether it would be appropriate to include sustainable development in the objects of the HCA, and I have now concluded that it would. Amendments Nos. 16 and 17 are designed to add to the agency's objects the need"““to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development””," thus placing sustainability at the heart of what the agency does, and demonstrating and reinforcing the importance of sustainability not just to the agency, but to the Government. Amendment No. 25 would delete clause 34, but I think it is no longer necessary. On that basis, I hope that the hon. Members for Montgomeryshire (Lembit Öpik) and for St. Ives (Andrew George) will not press their amendment No. 229, which is also unnecessary. May I say that through sheer tenacity and expertise in and command of the argument, my hon. Friend the Member for City of Durham has moved Government policy on these matters quite considerably? She has placed sustainable development right at the heart of the agency's objects. I pay sincere tribute to her and am happy to give way to her.