My Lords, I rise to speak against Motion D1. Again, that is very difficult to do given that the sentiment that is supposed to be behind it is something I am trying to support, but it is written in a way that I cannot. I refer noble Lords to my interests in the register, which have not changed since I last referred to them.
I seek the Minister’s confirmation that the Government intend to stick to their manifesto commitment. To avoid any doubts about what the manifesto commitment was, this time I am going to read it, because nobody else has referred to it, just to make sure that we are all talking about the same thing. The intention behind it was that we would retain sufficient high-value asset-sale receipts to replace the units sold. That was confirmed by the Prime Minister, who said:
“As the most expensive council properties fall vacant, we are going to require councils to sell them off ”,
which is fine as stock management,
“and we’ll replace them with new affordable housing in the same area”.
That should deal with it being affordable, which just leaves us with the argument about what “affordable” is.
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The manifesto also went on to say that we will require,
“local authorities to manage their … assets more efficiently, with the most expensive properties sold off and replaced as they fall vacant”.
If it is “their … assets”, my assets are social rented units so I will be replacing my assets, as it says in our manifesto commitment, so long as that is what we are sticking to. Further to that, the press release accompanying the manifesto launch said that those units would be,
“replaced in the same area with normal affordable housing as they fall vacant”,
which goes back to my “affordable”. It went on:
“After funding replacement affordable housing on a one for one basis, the surplus … will be used to fund the extension of right to buy”.
I require, at the least, confirmation from my noble friend the Minister that we intend to stick to our manifesto commitment.
While I am up, there are two reasons why I object to Motion D1. The first part would allow the Secretary of State to change that manifesto commitment, which they should not be allowed to change as it would let them off the hook by having the ability to disagree with it. I did have a reason on the second part but I have now lost it, so I will have to apologise for not finishing off with some big piece of glory. But again, we should have had greater collaboration on writing the amendments and made sure that we had one which would deliver what both the noble Lord and I need, rather than one of us charging off with it.