Clause 147
Housing and Regeneration Bill
12:00 pm
Alistair Burt (Shadow Minister, Communities and Local Government; North East Bedfordshire, Conservative)
I beg to move amendment No. 7, in clause 147, page 60, line 8, at end insert ‘or amalgamating with another society’.
Roger Gale (North Thanet, Conservative)
With this it will be convenient to discuss amendment
No. 8, in clause 147, page 60, line 11, at end insert—
‘(3A) An instrument amalgamating industrial and provident societies has the same effect as an amalgamation under section 50 of the Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 (c. 12) (amalgamation of societies).’.
Alistair Burt (Shadow Minister, Communities and Local Government; North East Bedfordshire, Conservative)
Good morning, Mr. Gale; it is good to see you in the Chair. I do not think that you have been affected with drowsiness.
Iain Wright (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government; Hartlepool, Labour)
Doziness.
Alistair Burt (Shadow Minister, Communities and Local Government; North East Bedfordshire, Conservative)
Doziness; well, there we are. The hon. Member for Montgomeryshire seems to have nipped out for a quick sleep, to catch up and to get his story straight for the afternoon, so we can carry on.
I thank the Minister and his officials for giving us a short prÃ(c)cis of the numerous amendments with which we are dealing today. As I said at the end of the previous sitting, it is most helpful to read through the notes, as it can cut the time that we need to spend debating amendments.
The amendment is short and technical, and its intention is clear. It provides the power to amalgamate as well as to transfer engagements in circumstances in which it is necessary for a society to do so. We were not sure whether the process of transferring would allow the opportunity for amalgamation. The amendment tries to make it clear that the clause would allow that to happen when amalgamation, rather than any other route taken by the regulator or the manager appointed by them, appears to be the answer. I would be grateful if the Minister were to say whether amalgamation was originally considered as part of the clause and whether the amendment is a helpful clarification that can easily be added to the Bill.
Iain Wright (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government; Hartlepool, Labour)
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his kind comments, and for the manner in which he moved the amendment.
I fully understand what the hon. Gentleman is trying to get at. Indeed, I accept that there are advantages to giving a manager appointed under clause 145 a further power, as suggested in the amendment. However, I hope that he will allow me to consider the proposal in more detail, particularly to assess whether unforeseen circumstances or consequences could arise from such a widening of a manager’s powers. I hope to come back to the matter at a later stage. Although I am fully sympathetic to what the hon. Gentleman is trying to achieve, I hope that he will withdraw the amendment.
Alistair Burt (Shadow Minister, Communities and Local Government; North East Bedfordshire, Conservative)
I am interested to know whether the hon. Gentleman can foresee the unforeseen consequences that he needs to consider. If he can do so, I am sure that he will be able to satisfy us. I appreciate what he had to say.
I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.