My Lords, two amendments in the group are proposed by my noble friend Lord Bassam of Brighton. As we heard in his contribution, they concern community cohesion and the effects of the pay-to-stay policies on it. Amendment 82AA would require the Secretary of State to undertake a review into the effect that the ending of secure tenancies and the pay-to-stay policies will have on community cohesion. Amendment 82GAB would require the landlord, at the end of the fixed-term tenancy, to consider the effect that a decision not to grant another tenancy would have on family life and community cohesion.
These seem very sensible amendments and should be of no concern to the Government. In fact, they should be fully in tune with the Government’s thinking. We might all have our own definitions of community cohesion; for me, it is as set out by my noble friend Lord Bassam of Brighton. It is where there is a common vision and a sense of belonging—family life and a role for everybody in the local community. It is where we have rights and responsibilities, a breaking down of barriers, a building of trust and the creation of a community.
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If a consequence of the Government’s policies is a breakdown of that cohesion, then the result would be something that nobody in this House would want. All that these amendments ask for is, first, a review by the Secretary of State that will help to develop policy and provide valuable information on the effect of what they are doing, and, secondly, a duty on the landlord. My noble friend Lord Bassam of Brighton is right when he says that mixed communities are best, with people doing a variety of jobs in their locality. It makes the place work better if they live locally, rather
than being forced to move away, with the impact that that has on families and their development. I hope that, even at this late hour, we will get a positive response from the Minister. As it is Committee, of course, I might intervene further in the noble Baroness’s response.