HL Deb 24 July 1974 vol 353 cc1789-803

General

1.—(1) A rehabilitation order may, in addition to applying to any building to which section 107F of this Act applies, be made to apply to—

  1. (a) any other building comprised in the clearance area,
  2. (b) any land or building which is not comprised in the clearance area but which is subject to the same compulsory purchase order or, as the case may be, has (since being included in the clearance area) been acquired by the authority by agreement under section 43(2) of the Act of 1957, and
  3. (c) any land or building to which the provisions of Part III of the Act of 1957 apply by virtue of section 49 of that Act.

(2) Where, by virtue of this Schedule, a local authority are freed from the duty to demolish a house which was included in a clearance area as being unfit for human habitation, the authority shall take such steps as are necessary—

  1. (a) to bring the building up to the full standard, or
  2. (b) where the building is not vested in the authority, to ensure that it is brought up to that standard.

(3) A local authority may, for the purpose of section 107F of this Act, accept undertakings from the owner of a building, or any other person who has or will have an interest in the building, and in particular undertakings concerning the works to be carried out to bring the building up to the full standard, and the time within which the works are to be carried out.

2.—(1) A local authority shall not make a rehabilitation order relating to land subject to a compulsory purchase order unless they are satisfied that, after the rehabilitation order comes into force, they can effectively fulfil their duties under Part III of the Act of 1957 as regards the remaining land subject to the compulsory purchase order.

(2) Subject to sub-paragraph (1) above, a rehabilitation order may be made notwithstanding that the effect of the order in excluding any building from a clearance area is to sever that area into two or more separate and distinct areas, and in any such case the provisions of Part III of the Act of 1957 relating to the effect of a compulsory purchase order when confirmed, and to the proceedings to be taten after confirmation of the order, shall apply as if those areas formed one clearance area.

(3) In exercising his power under this Schedule of confirming a rehabilitation order subject to modifications, the Secretary of State shall have regard to the considerations in sub-paragraphs (1) and (2) above.

3.—(1) This paragraph shall have effect in relation to any land or building in respect of which a local authority have made a rehabilitation order which has been confirmed in accordance with the provisions of this Schedule; and in this Schedule "relevant date" means the date on which the rehabilitation order was confirmed or, as the case may be, on which confirmation was refused.

(2) If, at the relevant date (in the case of any land or building subject to a compulsory purchase order)—

  1. (a) no interest in the land or building has, after the date on which the compulsory purchase order concerned was made, vested in the authority, and
  2. (b) no notice to treat has been served by the authority under section 5 of the Compulsory Purchase Act 1965, in respect of any interest in the land or building, the compulsory purchase order shall cease to have effect and, where applicable, the building shall cease to be comprised in a clearance area.

(3) Where sub-paragraph (2) above does not apply, the authority shall, where applicable, cease to be subject to the duty, imposed by Part III of the Act of 1957, to demolish the building, and in relation to any interest in the land or building which at the relevant date has not vested in the authority (being land or a building subject to a compulsory purchase order) the compulsory purchase order shall have effect as if—

  1. (a) in the case of a house, it had been made and confirmed under Part V of the Act of 1957, and
  2. (b) in any other case, it had been made and confirmed under Part VI of the Act of 1971.

(4) If the land or building, or any interest therein, was vested in the authority at the relevant date it shall be treated—

  1. (a) in the case of a house, as appropriated to the purposes of Part V of the Act of 1957, and
  2. (b) in any other case, as appropriated to the purposes of Part VI of the Act of 1971.

(5) Where a local authority have made a rehabilitation order they shall not—

  1. (a) serve notice to treat under section 5 of the Compulsory Purchase Act 1965 in respect of any land or building subject to the relevant compulsory purchase order, or
  2. (b) demolish any such building, until after the relevant date.

(6) Where the owner of any building in respect of which a rehabilitation order could be made applies to the local authority concerned for such an order to be made in respect of the building, and the authority refuse to make the order, they shall give their reasons for so refusing in writing to the owner.

(7) Where a rehabilitation order is confirmed in accordance with this Schedule and the effect of the order is to exclude from a clearance area any land adjoining a general improvement area in England and Wales (within the meaning of Part II of the Housing Act 1969), that land shall, unless the Secretary of State otherwise directs, be included in the general improvement area.

Procedure for making and confirming rehabilitation orders

4. A rehabilitation order shall be made in the prescribed form and shall describe, by reference to a map—

  1. (a) the land and buildings to which it applies,
  2. (b) the boundaries of the clearance area to which it applies,
  3. (c) the boundaries of the land comprised in any relevant compulsory purchase order, and
  4. (d) the parts (if any) of the land to which the rehabilitation order applies which will remain subject to a compulsory purchase order.

5.—(1) Before submitting the rehabilitation order to the Secretary of State the local authority shall—

  1. (a) publish in one or more newspapers circulating within their district a notice in the prescribed form stating that an order has been made and describing the land and buildings to which it applies and naming a place where a copy of the order and its accompanying map may be seen at all reasonable hours, and
  2. (b) serve—
    1. (i) on every person on whom notice of the making of any relevant compulsory purchase order was served, or
    2. (ii) on the person from whom the land or building was purchased by agreement, as the case may be, or
    3. (iii) on their successors in title, where appropriate a notice in the prescribed form stating the effect of the rehabilitation order and that it is about to be submitted to the Secretary of State for confirmation and specifying the time within and the manner in which objections thereto can be made.

(2) A notice which is to be served on any person under this paragraph shall be served in accordance with the provisions of section 169 of the Act of 1957; and any notice served in accordance with this paragraph shall be accompanied by a statement of the grounds on which the authority are seeking confirmation of the rehabilitation order.

6.—(1) If no objection is duly made by any of the persons on whom notices are required to be served in accordance with paragraph 5 above, or if all objections so made are withdrawn, then, subject to the provisions of this Schedule, the Secretary of State may if he thinks fit confirm the order with or without modifications.

(2) If any objection duly made it not withdrawn, the Secretary of State shall, before confirming the order, either cause a public local inquiry to be held or afford to a person by whom an objection has been duly made and not withdrawn an oportunity of appearing before and being heard by a person appointed by the Secretary of State for the purpose.

(2) If any objection duly made is not withdrawn and the report of the person who held the inquiry or of the person appointed under sub-paragraph (2) above, the Secretary of State may, subject to the provisions of this Schedule, confirm the order with or without modification.

(4) Notwithstanding anything in the provisions of this paragraph, the Secretary of State may require any person who has made an objection to state in writing the grounds thereof and may disregard the objection for the purposes of this paragraph if he is satisfied that the objection relates exclusively to matters which can be dealt with by the tribunal by whom the compensation is to be assessed.

(5) The Secretary of State may modify a rehabilitation order by extending its application to any other land or building to which the Order could have been made to apply by the authority making it. but shall not do so unless—

  1. (a) he is satisfied that any house which he proposes to include in the rehabilitation order should be improved to the full standard, instead of being demolished,
  2. (b) he is satisfied, in respect of any land or building which he proposes to include in the rehabilitation order (being land or a building which is not comprised in the clearance area concerned) that its acquisition by the local authority is unnecessary, and
  3. (c) he has served on every owner, lessee and occupier (except tenants for a month or a lesser period than a month) and, so far as it is reasonably practical to ascertain such persons, on every mortgagee, of the land or building, a notice in the prescribed form stating the effect of his proposals and has afforded them an opportunity to make their views known.

7.—(1) The provisions of Schedule 4 to the Act of 1957 shall have effect, subject to the necessary modifications, in relation to the validity and date of operation of a rehabilitation order as they have effect in relation to the validity and date of operation of a compulsory purchase order made under section 43 of that Act.

(2) The modifications subject to which the provisions of Schedule 4 are to have effect by virtue of this paragraph shall include the addition, at the end of paragraph 1, of the words— 'and every person on whom the Secretary of State served notice under paragraph 6(5)(c) of Schedule 8 to the Housing Act 1974.'

8.—(1) In this Schedule 'prescribed' means prescribed by order made by the Secretary of State for the purposes of this Schedule; and "full standard ' has the same meaning as in section 107F(3) of this Act.

(2) An order under this paragraph shall be contained in a statutory instrument which shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.

(3) In the application of this Schedule to Scotland the words ' as being unfit for human habitation ' shall be omitted.").

The noble Lord said: My Lords, this Amendment was taken with Amendment No. 39.

LORD SANDYS

My Lords, I welcomed Amendment No. 39 in warm terms. I should like to add to my welcome how fortunate it is that this Schedule will be brought forward at a time when many local authorities are spot-listing buildings and it will enable additional flexibility in this procedure.

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

Schedule 8—[Option Mortgages: Amendments of Part II of Housing Subsidies Act 1967]:

LORD HUGHES moved Amendment No. 73:

Page 122, line 43, after ("(d)") insert ("in a case where the specified person or persons named in a declaration under paragraph (c) above is, are or include the borrower or all or any of the joint borrowers").

The noble Lord said: My Lords, with permission I will move this Amendment and Amendments Nos. 74, 75, 76, 77, 78 and 79 en bloc, all of which have been already spoken to on Amendment No. 51.

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, I beg to move Amendment No. 74.

Amendment moved—

Page 123. line 60, at end insert— ("(xi) if the lender becomes aware that a declaration under paragraph (c) or paragraph (d) of this subsection is false in a material particular, the expiry of the period of one month beginning with the date on which the lender first becomes so aware.").—(Lord Hughes.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, I beg to move Amendment No. 75.

Amendment moved—

Page 124, line 36, at end insert— ("(5) In subsection (4) of that section for the words from ' conditions specified in subsection (3)(c) ' to the end of the subsection there shall be substituted the words ' conditions specified in paragraphs (c) and (d) of subsection (3) of this section there are satisfied such other conditions as may be specified in the direction; and where any such direction has effect in relation to an option notice, the provisions of subsections (5) and (6) of section 24B of this Act shall apply as if the reference therein to the residence condition were a reference to such condition as may be so specified.

(6) After subsection (5) of that section there shall be inserted the following subsection:— ' (5A) In the case of an option notice to which a direction under subsection (5) of this section applies, paragraph (c) of subsection (3) of this section shall have effect as if for the words from" before the expiry "to" to be occupied "there were substituted the words" the land in question is being and will continue to be used wholly or partly for the purposes of a dwelling occupied '.").—(Lord Hughes.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, I beg to move Amendment No. 76:

Amendment moved—

Page 126, line 40, at end insert: (" (5) In any case where the option notice in respect of the relevant loan is one to which a direction under section 24(5) of this Act applies, the preceding provisions of this section shall have effect subject to such modifications as may be prescribed").—(Lord Hughes.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, I beg to move Amendment No. 77:

Amendment moved—

Page 127, line 40, leave out ("section 24(3) of this Act") and insert ("subsection (3) of section 24 of this Act (other than a declaration delivered in respect of an option notice to which a direction under subsection (5) of that section applies)").—(Lord Hughes.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, I beg to move Amendment No. 78:

Amendment moved—

Page 128, line 23, leave out ("after subsection (4)") and insert ("in subsection (2)(b) after the words" this section "there shall be inserted the words" and to such modifications as may bo prescribed "

(c) after subsection (4) of that section ").—(Lord Hughes.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

Schedule 9 [Service Charges; Amendments of Sections 90 and 91 of Housing Finance Act 1972]:

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, I beg to move Amendment No. 79:

Page 129, line 19, at end insert: ("' 5A. After section 28 there shall be inserted the following section:—

Recovery of subsidy in certain cases

28A.—(1) If a declaration under paragraph (c) or paragraph (d) of subsection (3) of section 24 of this Act is false in a material particular, the Secretary of State may recover from the borrower or, as the case may be, jointly and severally from the borrowers an amount equal to the total of the payments received by the lender by virtue of subsection (2)(a)(ii) of that section in relation to the loan in respect of which the declaration was made.

(2) If, in a case where subsection (5) of section 24B of this Act applies, the lender docs not receive a notification under that subsection, the Secretary of State may recover from the borrower or, as the case may be, jointly and severally from the borrowers, an amount equal to the total of the payments received by the lender as mentioned in subsection (1) above after the expiry of the period of 2 months beginning on the day following the expiry of the period of 12 months specified in the said subsection (5).

(3) If, in a case where subsection (6) of section 24B of this Act applies, the lender does not receive a notification under that subsection, the Secretary of State may rccover from the borrower or, as the case may be, jointly and severally from the borrowers, an amount equal to the total of the payments received by the lender as mentioned in subsection (1) above after the expiry of the period of 2 months beginning with the date on which the condition specified in the said subsection (6) first ceased to be fulfilled."

6B. At the end of section 32(1) (interpretation) there shall be inserted the following definition:—

" ' prescribed ' means prescribed by regulations made by statutory instrument by the Secretary of State; and a statutory instrument containing any such regulations shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament."").—(Lord Hughes.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

Schedule 10 [Minor and Consequential Amendments]:

LORD HUGHES moved Amendment No. 80.

Page 130, line 8. at end insert—

The Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1907

("1. In the Sheriff Courts (Scotland) Act 1907, after section 38 there shall be inserted the following section—

Notice of termination in respect of dwelling houses 38A. Any notice of termination of tenancy or notice of removal given under section 37 or 38 above in respect of a dwelling-house, on or after the date of the coming into operation of section (Form and content of certain notices to quit) of the Housing Act 1974, shall be in writing and shall contain such information as may be prescribed by virtue of section 131 of the Rent (Scotland) Act 1971, and Rule 112 of Schedule 1 to this Act shall no longer apply to any such notice under section 37 above.").

The noble Lord said: My Lords, this Amendment is consequential on Clause 113 whereby any notice to quit any premises let as a dwelling house is required to be in writing and to contain such information as may be prescribed in regulations made by the Secretary of State by statutory instrument.

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

LORD HUGHES moved Amendment No. 81:

Page 132, line 41, at end insert— ("(5) Section 72 of the Housing Act 1964 (restriction on recovery of possession after making of compulsory purchase order) shall be amended as follows:—

  1. (a) in subsection (1) in the definition of "the relevant period" the words "of twelve months", in each case where they occur, shall be omitted and after the words "making of the said order" there shall be inserted the words "and ending on the third anniversary of the date on which the order becomes operative";
  2. (b) in subsection (2) in paragraph (a) for the words from "not exceeding" to "said compulsory purchase order" there shall be substituted the words "not extending beyond the end of the period of three years beginning on the relevant date" and in paragraph (b) for the words "twelve months" there shall be substituted the words "three years"; and
  3. (c) after subsection (2) there shall be inserted the following subsection:—
(2A) for the purposes of subsection (2) above "the relevant date" means:—
  1. (a) if the compulsory purchase order concerned has become operative before the date on which the court exercises its 1797 power under that subsection, the date on which the order became operative; and
  2. (b) in any other case the date on which the court exercises or, as the case may be, exercised its power under paragraph (a) of that subsection in relation to the order for possession in question ".").

The noble Lord said: My Lords, Amendment No. 85 will be consequential upon this Amendment. These Amendments fulfil an undertaking given in Committee in another place to my honourable friend, the Member for Islington South and Finsbury. The Amendments, though they may seem complex, have a simple purpose. It is to extend the period under current legislation 12 months during which a county court can, in the case of certain properties, suspend the opera-tion of an order for possession against an occupant of a property subject to a compulsory purchase order. This is because 12 months is not usually long enough—particularly in difficult cases—for compulsory purchase order procedures to be completed. The period will now be the whole period between the making of the compulsory purchase order and the Secretary of State's decision on it, plus, if it is confirmed, three years. As at present, if the compulsory purchase order is quashed or not confirmed, the period for suspension ceases and an order for possession can be executed.

BARONESS YOUNG

My Lords, I should like to thank the noble Lord, Lord Hughes, for the explanation he has given. Is it the case, therefore, that when a local authority seeks to acquire com-pulsorily a house and is successful in doing so, the tenant remains in occupation and this avoids having empty houses in an area where almost by definition there would be housing shortage? If I understood the noble Lord correctly, the tenant would have the right to remain in the house if the local authority were successful, but if it were not successful the owner could have possession of the house.

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, I think the noble Barones has expressed the position correctly.

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

LORD HUGHES moved Amendment No. 82:

Page 132, line 48, at end insert—

(" 10A. In section 135 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1966, the same amendments shall be made as are set out in paragraph 5(5) above with the substitution for the reference to an order for possession of a reference to a decree of removing or warrant of ejection or other like order.")

The noble Lord said: My Lords, this is the equivalent for Scotland of Amendment No. 81.

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

LORD HUGHES moved Amendment No. 83:

Page 135, line 11, at end insert— (" (5A) After subsection (3) of section 62 of that Act (rent limit where no rent is registered) there shall be inserted the following subsection— (3A) The reference in paragraph (b) of subsection (3) above to another tenancy includes, in addition to a tenancy to which sections 62 to 66 of this Act apply, a regulated tenancy within the meaning of the Act of 1971—

  1. (a) which subsisted at any time after the operative date, within the meaning of the Housing Act 1974; and
  2. (b) under which, immediately before it came to an end, the interest of the landlord belonged to a housing association".")

The noble Lord said: My Lords, this Amendment inserts a new subsection (3)(a) after section 62(3) of the Housing (Financial Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1972. The new subsection ensures that where after the operative date a regulated tenancy becomes a housing association tenancy, the rents recoverable shall not exceed the rent recoverable under the former regulated tenancy.

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

LORD HUGHES moved Amendment No. 84:

Page 137, line 17, at end insert— (" 31A after subsection (3) of section 83 of the 1972 Act (rent limit where no rent is registered) there shall be inserted the following subsection— (3A) The reference in paragraph (b) of subsection (3) above to another tenancy includes, in addition to a tenancy to which this Part of this Act applies, a regulated tenancy, within the meaning of the Rent Act 1968,

  1. (a) which subsisted at any time after the operative date, within the meaning of the Housing Act 1974; and
  2. (b) under which, immediately before it came to an end, the interest of the landlord belonged to a housing association".").

The noble Lord said: The rent limit of housing association tenancies is set by Section 83 of the Housing Finance Act 1972. From the operative date, April 1, 1975, that will cease to apply to housing associations which do not become registered and the rent limit provisions of the Rent Act 1968 will become applicable subject to certain transitional provisions in Schedule 3. But such associations might later become registered, or their dwellings might be sold to a registered housing association, in which event the Rent Act will cease to apply and Part VIII of the 1972 Act will again apply. As Section 83 stands, the rent limit would be that for the last previous Part VIII tenancy—which could have the anomalous result that the rent would have to be reduced because the association had become registered, or the dwelling had been bought by a registered assocation. This Amendment corrects the position by recognising for rent limit purposes the rent under any regulated tenancy in which the interest of the landlord was owned by a housing association, whether registered or not.

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

Schedule 12—[Enactments repealed]:

LORD HUGHES

My Lords, I beg to move Amendment No. 85.

Amendment moved—

Page 146, line 8, column 3, at end insert— ("' In section 72(1) the wording of twelve months, in each place where they occur.")—(Lord Hughes.)

On Question, Amendment agreed to.

Then, Standing Order No. 44 having been dispensed with, pursuant to Resolution:

8.8 p.m.

LORD GARNSWORTHY

My Lords, in moving that this Bill be given its Third Reading, may I pay tribute to the way in which it has been dealt with by your Lordships on both sides of the House. I am most grateful to my noble friends for the wealth of experience they have brought to bear on the issues we have discussed and for the helpful part they have played in our debates, and, if I may say so, particularly for their appreciating that in a Bill introduced in circumstances attending consideration of this matter we could not do all that we should have wished.

My Lords, I should like to pay particular tribute to my noble friend Lord Hughes for his tremendous help. My task would indeed have been a very difficult one without his very fine assistance. May I say, too, that I am grateful to the noble Baroness and her colleagues for the cooperation they have given, which has ensured the speed with which this Bill has been dealt with. I appreciate the constructive approach that she has always made and, if I may so, the same remarks apply to her noble friend Lord Sandys.

We have all been working under very great difficulties. References has been made to them and I feel it is a considerable credit to this House that we have been able to arrange and to carry on our business in the manner we have done. In so far as it has lain within my power, I have seen to it that the noble Baroness and her noble friends have had all the assistance that we could provide. But I am well aware of the difficulties under which she and they have had to work, and that is why I appreciate the contribution that has come from the other side of the House.

However, although there has been general good will on all sides there have inevitably been times when differences have arisen between us. I am sure it will be understood when I say I am sorry that at Report stage it has been necessary so often for Divisions to take place. I quite understand the position but, inevitably, it has meant that we have spent a great deal more time on the Report stage, and of course we have had one or two rather lengthy debates that I do not suppose anybody anticipated when we started. However, everything has been done in a constructive and helpful way.

This is not the time to reopen the arguments with which we have been concerned during the Second Reading, Committee and Report stages of this Bill, but rather to reflect upon the amount of work that has been put into the Bill in this House, and the extent of the changes which have been made here in many parts of the Bill. Indeed, the Bill leaves this House strengthened in many directions, and changed in some other directions that the Government would have preferred not to be made, but that is the decision of your Lordships.

I should like to take the opportunity of referring to one or two points, because I indicated that on Third Reading I should touch on them. First, let me deal with an issue which has been raised two or three times. The Government see priority neighbourhoods not as a dilution of the housing action area concept, but very much in the way of buttressing it; and I want to re-emphasise that that is our view. They are a means of containing stress, and are deliberately designed to prevent that stress from just rippling out from the areas where local authorities can immediately take intrinsic action, and are a means of programming future action. Where resources are limited—and the noble Baroness has referred to this once or twice—whether of lime, money, staff or expertise, in our view it is on housing action areas that authorities should concentrate. Priority neighbourhoods are an additional weapon to be used where appropriate, both for the present and for working towards wider and longer-term objectives.

Secondly, I want to say that my honourable friend the Minister for Housing and Construction has asked me to emphasise that the Government are very anxious to promote the development of cooperative forms of housing, both by local authorities and by housing associations, whereby tenants can be given a real stake in the way in which their homes are managed and, if possible, in the equity. By way of showing that consideration of issues involved in this Bill will not be closed when it becomes an Act, may I say that we look forward with pleasure to the visit that the noble Baroness will be paying to the Department to discuss the questions involved in co-ownership.

Lastly—and I think it is a fitting theme for me to end on—I should like to reinforce what has been said already from I this side of the House, about the need to involve and consult residents, particularly (although not only) in housing action areas, once an area has been declared. I should like to acknowledge what the noble Baroness has said on that subject as well. We must recognise the dangers of long drawn-out procedures before declaration, which could operate against the interests of the very people whose living conditions were are concerned to improve. The Department of the Environment and the Welsh Office will draw particular attention to the provisions in the Bill for securing publicity, the giving of information and the answering of queries. I think the noble Baroness was anxious that I should say that and get it firmly placed on the Record.

Also, in their advice to authorities it will be made quite clear that experience has shown that unless residents are involved after declaration in the formative stages of the action programme—to put it at its lowest—the programme will not work out. My Lords, before the Bill leaves us on its way to another place, I should like once again to thank the House for its help during these difficult days. I beg to move that the Housing Bill be now given a Third Reading.

Moved. That the Bill be now read 3a.—(Lord Garnsworthy.)

8.16 p.m.

BARONESS YOUNG

My Lords, at this late stage I do not wish to make a long speech on Third Reading, but I cannot let this opportunity pass without paying tribute to my noble friend Lord Sandys, who has done so much to help me on the Bill, and other noble Lords who have supported me in some of these very complicated subjects, notably my noble friend Lady Hornsby-Smith. I should also like to pay a tribute to the noble Lords, Lord Garnsworthy and Lord Hughes, for the help they have given me in sending me notes on some of the Government Amendments, and also for the very useful meeting that I had at the Department of the Environment last week.

As the House will know, our view about the Bill is one of support and, therefore, all the Amendments which we have moved to it and the observations which we have made have been designed to be constructive. We wish to see it on the Statute Book and therefore we wish to see it through this House. There are three points that I should like to make. The first point is that Part I of the Bill enormously extends the powers of the housing corporations. This again is something that we welcome as we look upon the housing corporations as a third arm in the provision of housing. There are, of course, the owner occupiers, the local authorities and now the housing corporation, and I think it will be important in the future that it should look carefully at the provisions it makes. We have already discussed the difficulties which I can see arising as a result of the Rent Bill and the difficulties which face local authorities in producing the flexibility of housing which people demand. It is in that respect that we look to the housing corporation to fill a great many of the gaps that will be left. I am sure that it is addressing itself to these problems and that it will be thinking along these lines as to what the future needs are for the single person, for people who are mobile, for students and for large groups of people who will require housing and will find it very difficult in the future.

I have listened with great care to what the noble Lord, Lord Garnsworthy, has said about priority neighbourhoods and housing action areas. We had better agree to differ on this point and I can only say that I hope my fears are not fulfilled, because I believe very much in the principle of the housing action area; I think it can help enormously the stress areas of the inner cities.

In conclusion, I am very glad to hear that the Government are interested in this problem, which I pointed out on Second Reading, of co-ownership and cooperative housing. I look forward to the meeting that we are to have with the Minister next week on this subject. At the same time, I am very glad that the Government agree, as I do, that in housing action areas, general improvement areas and priority neighbourhoods there must be the maximum involvement of the residents. Not only do I believe this to be the right thing to do, but I believe in practical terms it will yield the results that we all wish to achieve. I therefore hope that local authorities will co-operate in making this Bill a reality.

On Question, Bill read 3a, with the Amendments, and passed, and returned to the Commons.