Housing and Regeneration Bill
2:30 pm
George Young (North West Hampshire, Conservative)
I wish to raise other issues later, but I would like to follow up what Mr. Burt’s question about compulsory purchase order powers. As you said, the HCA is a merger of English Partnerships on the one hand and the investment wing of the Housing Corporation on the other. English Partnerships has CPO powers and planning powers, but the Housing Corporation does not have either. Do you think that the English Partnerships-type powers—planning and CPO—of the new, merged body will move across to the conventional housing function discharged by the Housing Corporation, or do you think that those powers will continue to be used mainly in relation to scenarios where English Partnerships would intervene? That is a matter of enormous sensitivity to the local authorities. Have I made the question clear?