§ Mr. StanleyI beg to move amendment No. 14, in page 14, line 4, leave out 'as soon as practicable' and insert 'within eight weeks'.
The amendment has been inspired by what was, for me, the most revolutionary spectacle during the Committee proceedings—the sight of the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) moving an amendment to speed up the right to buy by deleting the requirement on local authorities to serve a shared ownership offer notice, not, as originally drafted, as soon as practical after the tenant's right to be granted a shared ownership lease has been established, but within eight weeks.
We have contemplated the hon. Gentleman's excellent initiative. I am sorry that he is not with us. I express my gratitude and appreciation to him for his helpful contribution towards speeding up progress with the right to buy. We are satisfied that the introduction of such a deadline into clause 14(1) is reasonable because most of the information required for the shared ownership offer notice will already have been ascertained by the landlord under the right-to-buy procedures. Landlords should find no difficulty, therefore, in meeting the eight-week deadline. The valuation, the tenant's discount and the mortgage entitlement will have been previously assessed.
I ask the House to accept the amendment. I once again express my appreciation and thanks to the hon. Member for Walsall, North for his belated, but none the less deeply welcome, conversion to the cause of greater progress in implementing the right to buy.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Mr. StanleyI beg to move amendment No. 15, in page 14, line 5, after 'a', insert 'written'.
§ Mr. Deputy Speaker (Mr. Bernard Weatherill)With this we shall take Government amendments Nos. 16 to 18 and 37 to 39.
§ Mr. StanleyThese are drafting amendments to ensure consistency in the description of "notices" in part 1 of the Bill. They all relate to notices served by a landlord on the tenant, and in most cases the detail that they are required to contain must mean that in practice the notices will be given in writing. The amendments will help to avoid any confusion and put it beyond doubt as to how the notices are to be served.
§ Mr. GrahamIs there any consistency in the listing of these amendments? Can the Minister explain why the list refers to Government amendments 16 to 18, whereas Government amendments 37, 38 and 39 are listed separately? That is not consistent.
§ Mr. StanleyI am mesmerised by the hon. Gentleman's question. I have no idea what the answer is, but I shall be happy to send him a detailed explanation.
§ Amendment agreed to.
§ Amendment made: No. 16, in page 14, line 23, after 'a', insert 'written'.—[Mr. Stanley.]