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Housing and Regeneration Bill

moved Amendment No. 188: 188: Clause 312, leave out Clause 312 and insert the following new Clause— ““Eligibility for housing assistance In section 185 of the Housing Act 1996 (c. 52) (persons from abroad not eligible for housing assistance), omit subsection (4)(b).”” The noble Earl said: My Lords, this is a JCHR amendment, which I must admit I had difficulty getting my pea-sized brain around, but I think that it can be summed up as this. If you are a mother with five children whose immigrant status is not settled, the old law discriminated against them. The court found that wrong. The Government, at the pressing of the noble Baroness, Lady Hamwee, and others, introduced an amendment in Committee that set about rectifying the matter. However, they said that those people, instead of being on a par with someone whose entire family had completely normal immigrant status, could get only a 12-month short-hold tenancy. This seems to several of us to continue to be discriminatory and liable to fall foul of the lawyers and the courts when they get their hands on it. The Government have said that very few people are involved. However, one of the signatories to the letter to the Government alleged that the number is rather more. All I am really asking is: please will the Government explain the discriminatory action in their amendment? This requires serious consideration, because no one wants to have everyone carted in front of expensive lawyers again. It is a waste of time and money, and apart from that it is wrong. I beg to move.