Clause 176
Housing and Regeneration Bill
5:00 pm
Iain Wright (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government; Hartlepool, Labour)
I beg to move amendment No. 232, in clause 176, page 68, line 38, after ‘standards’ insert
‘or issuing, revising or withdrawing a code of practice’.
Joe Benton (Bootle, Labour)
With this it will be convenient to discuss Government amendments Nos. 233 and 238.
Iain Wright (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government; Hartlepool, Labour)
Government amendment No. 232 requires that consultation take place when codes of practice are issued under clause 175, and when standards are issued under clauses 173 and 174. Government amendment No. 233 requires that, along with other named bodies, the regulator must consult on standards and codes of practice—if amendment No. 232 is agreed to—with bodies appearing to it to represent the interests of secured creditors. I hope that the Committee agrees that lenders have a strong interest in standards because they wish to ensure that providers will remain a low investment risk.
George Young (North West Hampshire, Conservative)
I agree entirely that one should consult registered providers. Why, then, has the Minister not tabled similar amendments to clause 177(2), which contains a similar list of consultees, and to clause 193?
Iain Wright (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government; Hartlepool, Labour)
Let me consider that more closely; the right hon. Gentleman might have got me on that.
Government amendment No. 238 amends clause 178(3), which permits the regulator to “revise or withdraw standards” following consultation. The amendment adds:
“Standards may be expressed by reference to documents prepared by others.”
The amendment explicitly recognises that other bodies or stakeholders acting as a group may propose and consult on documents that the regulator may then approve and issue—for example, a standard device by providers that has been approved by the regulator and been through the necessary consultations. That would increase their involvement in and sense of ownership of a standard. I hope that the Committee accepts the amendments and that, not withstanding the pertinent point raised by the right hon. Gentleman, we can move onwards.
Andrew George (St Ives, Liberal Democrat)
I know that we are not debating it at present, but Government amendment No. 235, which relates to the clause, states:
“A direction may disapply the requirement to consult under section 176 in relation to specified matters.”
It would be helpful if the Minister said what type of specified matters the Government have in mind in tabling that amendment, particularly in relation to the amendments he has moved on this clause.
Joe Benton (Bootle, Labour)
Order. Under the circumstances, it would be more appropriate to wait until we get to that amendment.
Iain Wright (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Communities and Local Government; Hartlepool, Labour)
I have said all that I need to say. I am happy to address the points on Government amendment No. 235 as we move forward, and I will look at what the right hon. Member for North-West Hampshire has said.