Housing and Regeneration Bill

My Lords, I never thought that I would be able to say this—it is a totally joyous thing to be able to do—because I never thought that I could confuse the noble Baroness with the Byzantine Archimandrite. She is making one of those wonderful Byzantine arguments about the number of angels who can dance on the head of a pin. As I understand it, Mr Straw said something that is now inconvenient and someone is trying, perfectly reasonably—if I had ever been entrusted with government business, which, thank goodness, I have not, I would probably be making exactly the same effort—to bat the ball away, but that did not stop it sounding slightly hollow. I accept that the Government cannot accept the amendment as it is, but I am trying to ensure that the problem is seriously and urgently addressed because it goes wider than the Bill; it goes to the YL and Weaver cases, as well as to what Mr Straw said. There is a lacuna somewhere, a muddle, and it needs to be sorted out. With that, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Clause 88 [Fundamental objectives]: