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Housing and Regeneration Bill

It might seem a little odd to raise the issue with regard to legislation, but it is worth raising. I understand where the amendment has come from, because of the concerns that have been raised by the Housing Law Practitioners Association. As the noble Baroness demonstrated, the key point is that different procedures apply in county courts and the High Court where a landlord seeks to enforce a possession order by asking the court to issue a warrant of possession. This may seem a simple matter to address, but is actually much more complex and involved. What would happen as a result of the amendment is that all warrants of possession would require the court's permission before issue. That would have a wide and significant effect on all possession cases, not just social housing cases. The noble Baroness has provoked us into taking some interest in this, however, so it was worth doing. If she can allow us more time to look in a bit more detail at the issues and implications that have been raised, I am happy to return to the matter on Report. I hope that will make her feel better.