Clause 16 - Duty of local housing authority to formulate a homelessness strategy
Homes Bill
10:45 am
Mr Nigel Waterson (Eastbourne, Conservative)
In a moment.
In answering the hon. Lady's intervention, I want to refer to an extremely thought-provoking article published in Housing Today of 11 January 2001,written by Mr. Mike Morris, chief executive of the William Sutton Trust. I am sure that those who take an interest in housing will know that this is the William Sutton Trust's centenary year. Mr. Morris makes a number of significant points about what he calls the need to integrate the housing market. He says that, overall, the social rented sector is declining and refers to a number of other forces that are all pressing to what he calls greater integration. He says that all new local authority lettings should become assured tenancies preserving existing tenant's right to buy. He also says:
This, coupled with perhaps an extension of the right to acquire under statutory purchase grant rules to the whole of the sector would help integrate social rented housing, leading to greater acceptance by tomorrows' customers.
Does the hon. Member for Regents Park and Kensington, North (Ms Buck) disagree with Mr. Morris?