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Housing and the Credit Crunch

Perhaps I can help the hon. Lady on that last point. The Committee took evidence from the Minister for Housing this Monday on proposals for the HRA. Obviously, he was not totally explicit, as that would have anticipated the statement, but if local authorities are agreeable to the proposals once the consultation is completed, they could go ahead without the need for primary legislation. I understood from the Minister that primary legislation would be required if not all local authorities agreed to the scheme. I hope that Members of all political parties could put it strongly to council leaders that although the outcome may not be precisely what they would wish and may not be quite as advantageous to their councils as they might, in the best possible circumstances, have wished, there is an opportunity for compromise. If the Local Government Association were able to get all its members to agree, the changes could go ahead without the need for primary legislation, to the benefit of the generality of councils even if one or two had to bite a slightly bitter bullet and take slightly less than they hoped for.