Written evidence to be reported to the House
Housing and Regeneration Bill
12:00 pm
David Orr : We are generally supportive of the idea that there is a separation between the investment agency and the regulator. The reason for that is that there have been occasions in the past when the threat of action by the investment part of the Housing Corporation underpinned regulatory intervention, and that is not a helpful way of progressing the regulator’s responsibilities. We believe that future investment through housing associations should be done by contract: that the new agency will enter into a contract with the housing association in the same way as it would with a private developer. There would be an agreement about the nature of the product to be provided. There is sufficient protection in the Bill to ensure that the HCA and the new regulator would have to pay regard to each other; in particular there is a requirement for the HCA to pay regard to the views of the regulator. There is sufficient protection.