Clause 1
Housing and Regeneration Bill
9:15 am
Robert Syms (Poole, Conservative)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship again, Mr. Benton. First, I apologise because I have a cough and a cold, although I do not suppose that I am the only one. I want to take the opportunity provided by this clause stand part debate to declare an interest: I am a director of a family building and property company. There may be a perception of interest, because the Bill is wide-ranging, and I hope that hon. Members will bear that in mind. My interest should stand on the record of the Bill’s proceedings.
I welcome the Minister to his first major Bill, and my hon. Friend the Member for Welwyn Hatfield, who now speaks on housing for the Conservative party. I have always found that Committee proceedings involve a lot of work, but that one is put on top of one’s brief and taken into areas where one would not necessarily go, so it is a useful experience. I should like to welcome the Liberal Democrat spokesman, the hon. Member for Montgomeryshire (Lembit Öpik), and I shall—on another occasion. No doubt there are organisational problems, which will be ironed out in due course as part of the Liberal Democrats’ aspiration to double their representation in Parliament.