§ Mr. SquireTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he intends to issue further explanatory material on tenants' choice; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveThe tenants' choice scheme, provided for in part IV of the Housing Bill, is designed to broaden the choices open to secure public sector tenants; to give tenants better services, whether by changing landlord or through the effect of competition on existing landlords; and further to open up very large stocks of rented housing held by local housing authorities to diversity, competition and best housing management practices. As I undertook at the Committee stage of the Bill to do, I have today placed in the Libraries of both Houses a paper, "Tenants' Choice", which explains how we propose to achieve this, including the part that we propose will be played by secondary legislation and by administrative arrangements. It explains in particular the important responsibilities we propose for the Housing Corporation, not only to approve prospective new landlords, but also to act as enabler and provider of information and assistance to tenants and prospective landlords wishing to operate the scheme: amendments to the Bill, tabled yesterday, provide for this extended role. The paper, additional copies of which will be available in the Vote Office, is being sent to the local authority associations and others with a major interest, but is considered primarily to assist this House in its further consideration of part IV of the Bill.