Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (Consequential Provisions) Order 2008

My Lords, I will start with that question first, if I may. In terms of the way in which the HCA sees itself as responding uniquely to the situation, what we have in the HCA has always been a single conversation, the language we used when considering the Bill. We also have the capacity for innovation to work in different ways, whether it is with local housing companies and local authorities or the opportunities that local authorities are considering regarding funding for the purchase of stock from developers, for example. The Housing Corporation will be involved with local authorities in all the initiatives we have put in place to try to free up the housing market. As of 2 October, of the £200 million a year marked for the purchase of stock from developers, the Housing Corporation has allocated £72 million, which will deliver 2,160 affordable homes. That obviously involves close conversations with local authorities. There will be a premium on what we can do by way of innovation and social housing, because this is where it will bite most specifically. All the information I have received from the HCA shows that it wants to work as flexibly as possible and is open to good ideas. That means working as flexibly as possible with housing developers. I talked about releasing smaller parcels of land as well as looking at what else local authorities can do in their allocations policy and the way in which priority groups are coming forward with their housing needs. The HCA will also work closely with the regions on housing delivery. One needs to look at the sustained pressure for more homes as well as the obvious failure of developers to access the cash to do the start-ups. We are looking at clearer leadership, less fragmented funding and more effective partnership. All that will benefit relationships with the HCA. It is our intention to maintain tax neutrality; all the provisions have been drafted on that basis. I do not have the cost-benefit analysis in front of me, but the circumstances have changed since the impact assessment was prepared, and we are aware that the financial benefits may not be as great or realised as soon as originally envisaged. I am very happy to write and explain how the methodology will help us to understand some of the differences that we are likely to see. On Question, Motion agreed to.