§ 9. Mr. Tebbitasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement outlining the safeguards he will guarantee for the voluntary housing movement in his housing revenue proposals.
§ Mr. ChannonThe provisions in the Housing Finance Bill will in total considerably increase the amount of money available to the voluntary housing movement. There are also provisions to mitigate special financial difficulties which may occur for individual associations.
§ Mr. TebbitI thank my hon. Friend for that reply. I hope that he will note that there is still some anxiety that it will become more difficult to start a new housing association. We all accept that large and substantial associations are 1320 needed, but we should not try to stop the formation of new housing associations.
§ Mr. ChannonI note what my hon. Friend says. During the passage of the Housing Finance Bill I am sure that we shall have an opportunity to discuss the matter, and either my right hon. Friend or I will be able to outline in detail the safeguards for housing associations.
§ Mr. CroslandThe Under-Secretary keeps giving very reassuring answers on this point, but is he aware that, as the hon. Member for Epping (Mr. Tebbit) said, many sections of the voluntary housing movement have expressed the greatest possible anxiety about the effects of the new Bill, particularly the newer and younger societies? Will the hon. Gentleman underline what he has just said and state categorically that when we discuss this matter in Committee he will take these anxieties into account?
§ Mr. ChannonI have told the right hon. Gentleman on a previous occasion that varying views have been expressed by the voluntary housing movement about these proposals. I am anxious to reach the point at which we can discuss the proposals in detail in Committee, and I am sure that at that stage we shall be able to allay some of the anxieties.