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Housing and Regeneration Bill

Clause 32 concerns the power to form companies and, to a degree, I understand more why this is in the Bill than the previous wide clause. Nevertheless, the noble Lord referred earlier to believing the HCA will be a plc, and one wonders whether the clause would allow it to convert to a plc. It will be interesting to hear from the Minister the extent to which the Government believe it will be involved in the corporate sector and in forming companies. Perhaps he will give two or three examples of where this might be a sensible way forward. Part of my concern, again, is that this is minimalist legislation, to use the terminology of the noble Lord, Lord Brooke. The clause consists of two lines. It is the kind of legislation that used to be passed 70 or 80 years ago when Bills consisted of five or six pages. Nowadays we expect to see laid out the circumstances in which the provisions can be used. I accept that the phrase, "““with the consent of the Secretary of State””," is used, but we expect to see phrases such as ““regulations will determine it””, ““they will set out the principles in which it will happen”” or ““some of the principles set out in the Bill””. There is nothing here; it is more minimalism. I look forward to the Minister’s comments.