HC Deb 31 January 2001 vol 362 cc194-5W
Mr. Waterson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when, where and for how long(a) the Housing Minister and (b) his officials have met the Council of Mortgage Lenders to discuss the Homes Bill, and if he will indicate the names and titles of those attending the meetings. [147799]

Mr. Raynsford

Since publication of the Homes Bill on 13 December 2000, I have not met the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML). My last meeting with the CML took place on 4 December, when I addressed their Annual Conference.

The CML have been involved from the outset in the Home Buying and Selling Advisory Group, which assists the Government in developing its proposals. The Group comprises the major representative bodies with an interest in home buying and selling (including consumers), and officials from DETR and other Departments. It is chaired by Michael Gahagan, Director of Housing at DETR. The Group has met once since publication of the Bill, on 12 January.

The CML and the Department have attended two sub-committees of the Advisory Group since publication of the Bill: the Home Condition Report Working Group, at RICS, Great George street, London, on 8 January 2001; and the Home Inspectors Certification Board Steering Group Meeting on Thursday 11 January 2001. Both these meetings were also attended by other stakeholders in the home buying and selling process.

My officials have had two meetings recently with the CML about our home buying and selling proposals. The first was on 22 November; the second was on 15 December 2000. Both meetings lasted about one and a half hours. Full details of attendees are as follows.

Meeting at DETR with CML—22 November 2000

DETR

  • Michael Gahagan—Director, Housing Directorate
  • David Woodward—Housing Policy, Renewal and Ownership Division
  • Steve Nuttall—Principal Research Officer
  • Andrew Hannan—Superintending Estates Officer
  • Jacqui Marriott—Assistant Policy Adviser

CML

  • Michael Coogan—Director General, CML
  • Fiona Hoyle—Senior Legal Adviser
  • Shaun Stevens—Housing Policy Adviser

Meeting to discuss the Homes Bill, at CML, 3 Savile Row, London on 15 December 2000

DETR

  • Michael Gahagan—Director, Housing Directorate, DETR
  • Martin Jones—Divisional Manager, Housing Policy, Renewal and Ownership, DETR
  • Steve Nuttall—Principal Research Officer, DETR
  • Andrew Hannan—Superintending Estates Officer, DETR

CML

  • Michael Coogan—Director General, CML
  • Peter Williams—Deputy Director General, CML
  • Fiona Hoyle—Senior Legal Adviser, CML
  • Shaun Stevens—Housing Policy Adviser, CML.