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Housing and Regeneration Bill

I thank my hon. Friend for those kind comments. Like my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew), I pay tribute to David Rodgers of CDS Co-operatives and my noble Friend Lord Graham of Edmonton, a fellow north-easterner who always describes himself as Lord Ted of Ed. I am not sure whether it is parliamentary to describe my noble Friend as wily, but I think I know what hon. Friend meant. In general, the provisions on cross-domain regulation, community land trusts and tenant empowerment seem to have been warmly welcomed by the House, for which I am grateful. My right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Mr. Raynsford) made some incredibly pertinent points, as always, with regard to the nature and function of the regulator. Again, I am grateful to him for his kind comments on my involvement in the Bill. He made a good point about ensuring that business models are robust, particularly in the current climate; availability of finance is not what it was even six months ago. He is absolutely right to say that the regulator has a role to play. He also mentioned how important it is to make sure that the implementation procedure is closely considered in the period until the regulator comes into being, and I certainly pledge to do that. As regards regulation, he will know that previously there was only a very low level of intervention and a nuclear option. He knows that we are providing a new range of enforcement powers that essentially make the regulator more flexible and proportionate in what it does to raise standards for tenants. I welcome what has been said in the House tonight, and I hope that the whole House can approve the amendments. Lords amendment agreed to. Lords amendments Nos. 66 to 168 agreed to.