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Housing and Regeneration Bill

I am grateful for the support of the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, on behalf of the noble Lord, Lord Greaves. I hope both the noble Lord and the noble Baroness will soon recover. Most noble Lords who have contributed to the debate recognise that there is a problem. The amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Mawson, has, in one sense, let the cat out of the bag. I did not address the biggest imbalance—that if you vote yes you get the money; if you vote no, you do not. In the old days that used to be known as ““treating”” and was an electoral offence. However, I will put that to one side. But it demonstrates that the whole operation is in the context of a national policy which both major parties broadly support. It is therefore not sensible that the impact of the national policy and the way in which people are consulted about it should vary significantly from borough to borough and local authority to local authority. I do not accept the need for flexibility in that respect. Even in relation to local authority manifestos, the local authorities are operating within a national policy and, as the Minister said, it is by no means certain that the tenants of the estates in question voted for the majority party when it came to its execution on those particular premises. I am grateful to the Minister for suggesting a road to statutory guidance. It is difficult to see the present guidance being put on a statutory basis but if it enshrines the kinds of principles that I am talking about, statutory guidance would go a considerable way towards cleaning up the balance. It would address the situation that the noble Lord, Lord Mawson, referred to in terms of outside interference—on the no side, generally speaking—as well as the imbalance in favour of a yes vote that I was concerned with. That means that this will become a proper, cleaned-up form of democracy, rather than something which is subject to abuse and undermines the whole basis on which our democratic society should be run. I hope that the statutory guidance will be sufficient but I shall keep my powder dry until I see it. I would have preferred that there was at least a linked reference, a passerelle, to the guidance on the face of the Bill. I accept that the Government have moved some way in my direction and therefore at this stage I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendment No. 113A had been withdrawn from the Marshalled List.] [Amendments Nos. 113B and 113C not moved.] Clause 293 agreed to. [Amendment No. 114 not moved.] Clauses 294 and 295 agreed to. Clause 296 [Family intervention tenancies: general]: