CORPORATION AS HOUSING AUTHORITY (Hansard, 15 July 1980)

§ Mr. Spearing
I beg to move amendment No. 212, in page 98, line 19, after order) insert: 'without prejudice to the powers and duties of any local housing authority.'

§ Mr. Deputy Speaker
With this it will be convenient to take Government amendment No. 213 and amendment No. 214, in page 98, line 36, at end insert— '(7) An urban development corporation which is constituted a housing authority by Order under this Section and which builds houses for renting on monthly or weekly tenancies shall make arrangements for any local authority to manage such properties on their behalf.'.

§ Mr. Spearing
Amendment No. 212 relates to the powers of the urban development corporation in respect of housing. One of the matters not covered in a previous debate was the original intention of the Bill to give substantial and concurrent powers to an urban development corporation to exercise powers identical with and indeed in competition with those of a local authority. The complications of having an urban development corporation, the Greater London Council in the case of London and a London borough exercising similar powers inside any one London borough will be a bureaucrat's nightmare and certainly a nightmare for a local councillor and an hon. Member. Some concessions were made in Committee during the debate on housing and some second thoughts were quite properly indulged in.
I hope that the Government will consider amendment No. 212, with which my right hon. and hon. Friends have associated themselves and which safeguards the powers and duties of the local housing authority.
Amendment No. 214 provides that An urban development corporation which is constituted a housing authority by Order under this Section and which builds houses for renting on monthly or weekly tenancies shall make arrangements for any local authority to manage such properties on their behalf. I hope that the Government will look kindly on it. The reasons are clear. In an earlier speech the Minister stated that speed and resources are essential for the regeneration of these areas and that they can best be achieved by an urban development corporation. Perhaps additional capital will go into the areas. Even in these days of restricted public investment in housing there might be such investment.
After the houses are built, there must [...]e a management arrangement with the local authority for lettings, rents, terms of tenancies, allocation of priorities and all the other complex matters that produce so many human problems. I am sure that even in rural Somerset people write letters about housing. There must be some co-operation of the kind suggested.
I commend the amendment in a suggestive frame of mind. I hope that if the amendment is not suitably framed the Government will consider imposing a duty on local authorities to manage, on 1350 behalf of urban development corporations, the housing that results from their activities.

§ Mr. King
There is some uncertainty about the effect of amendment No. 212. It appears to enable housing powers to be given to a UDC without affecting the corresponding power of local authorities. The hon. Member referred to discussions in Committee. We have tabled amendment No. 213, which enables housing powers to be exercised concurrently by UDCs and local authorities. That meets a commitment that we made in Committee. I hope that the Opposition will be willing to ask leave to withdraw their amendment.
The principle of a local authority managing housing for a UDC has much to commend it. We made out a case for providing that it was necessary for a UDC to have housing powers, for instance for key workers. That is not likely to be a major involvement, and it could be helpful if it is possible for a local authority to manage housing.
I do not recommend the House to accept amendment No. 214, because it makes it a statutory duty for the UDC to manage housing. The amendment states: An urban development corporation … shall make arrangements for any local authority to manage such properties on their behalf. We do not wish to make that a statutory duty, but we are investigating ways in which it might be possible for local authorities to do that, because it has much to commend it.

§ Mr. Spearing
I am grateful to the Minister for his explanation of amendment No. 213, which goes almost, if not all, the way intended by amendment No. 212.
I understand wh[...] the Minister does not wish to accept amendment No. 214, which contains an obligatory power. However, the arrangements could be made and not necessarily acted upon. There must be a degree of mutual understanding. The Minister referred to key workers, which is an important issue. Arrangements for key workers are made in the East London boroughs. That might smooth the way if he has second thoughts on this matter in another place. However, in view of 1351 what the Minister said, I beg to ask leave to withdraw the amendment.