Social Housing
(Regulation) Bill [HL]
Third Reading
3.47pm
Motion
Moved by
That the Bill be now read a third time.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Levelling Up, Housing & Communities () (Con)
My Lords, I will take a moment to do one last piece of
housekeeping on the state of the Bill. My department has been
working closely with the Welsh Government to ensure that they are
kept abreast of the Bill’s progress and implications. Two
legislative consent memorandums have been lodged with the Senedd
Cymru indicating that consent should be given for this Bill. My
officials will continue to engage with their colleagues in the
Welsh Government and I hope that, by the time the Bill leaves the
other place, legislative consent will have been given by the
Senedd Cymru.
3.48pm
Motion
Moved by
That the Bill do now pass.
(Con)
My Lords, I thank noble Lords on all Benches—noble friends behind
me and noble Lords across the House—for their co-operation on
this Bill. I view the Bill as essential to bringing much-needed
and long-overdue change to the social housing sector—long overdue
because it has been more than five years since the Grenfell Tower
fire. I thank in particular all members of the Grenfell
community, who have pushed so hard and contributed so much in
shaping the Bill. I hope it will stand as part of the legacy of
Grenfell and play its part in ensuring that such a tragedy never
happens again.
It is my sincere hope and belief that the Bill will create a
strong and proactive consumer regulation regime that will drive
up standards in social housing and help tenants and the Regulator
of Social Housing hold landlords to account.
However, it is important that the Government remain open to new
ideas from Peers from across the House, and those within the
industry. We listen to the points raised by Peers in this Chamber
and during valuable meetings between debates. Consequently, we
tabled two important amendments. The first gives the regulator
powers to set standards for competence and conduct for staff
working in social housing. This will ensure that staff have the
knowledge, skills and experience to deliver a high-quality
service for tenants. I am grateful for the contributions from the
noble Baronesses, Lady Hayman of Ullock and Lady Wilcox of
Newport. The second amendment imposes a duty on the regulator to
publish and take reasonable steps to implement a plan for regular
inspections. The regulator had previously committed to this but I
am glad that we have enshrined it in legislation. This will give
tenants confidence that landlords will be required to deliver on
the standards imposed on them and be held accountable if they do
not. Again, I should like to thank the noble Lord, , for his determination to see
this included in the Bill.
Turning now to the amendment on energy efficiency in the name of
the noble Baroness, Lady Hayman, I recommit to the House that we
will consult on energy efficiency in the sector within six months
of the Bill becoming an Act. We continue to support the sector in
becoming more energy efficient but remain firm in our belief that
this amendment is not the right way to achieve this. However, I
must respect the will of this House on this issue and I thank the
noble Baroness for bringing what is clearly an important issue to
the fore. I thank all Members from the Front Benches opposite and
my noble friends here for their wisdom and commitment. Lastly, I
thank my noble friend Lady Bloomfield of Hinton Waldrist for her
support beside me since Committee, which has been invaluable.
I am sure noble Lords will also join me in thanking the Bill team
for their engagement, in particular Patrick, Ed, Dan and Elena. I
also thank Marcus from my private office and Ruhena, Josh,
Matthew, Shayne, Ellen, Richard, Mette, Richenda, Will, Nici and
Jim—I hope I have not missed anybody—who have all provided
invaluable support to a very rookie Minister with her first Bill.
I also extend my thanks to all the policy officials as well as
the legal team, ably led by Clare, and to the parliamentary
counsel, who worked tirelessly to get this Bill to where it
is.
It is important to remember that we are only half way there with
the Bill. I wish it a swift journey through the other place, and
hope that Members there will debate and consider it in a
thoughtful, passionate, detailed and courteous manner, as we have
done here. I reassure noble Lords that I remain open to further
meetings with them to discuss this important legislation and look
forward to picking this up again in what I hope will be a very
brief discussion following its passage through the other place. I
beg to move.
of Ullock (Lab)
My Lords, this is a really important Bill and I will briefly say
some thank yous. I thank all noble Lords who took part to improve
the Bill as it made its passage through this House. I thank, as
the Minister did, Grenfell United, Shelter and the residents who
suffered most from Grenfell and have worked so hard to bring this
new legislation forward, alongside the Government. I thank my
noble friend Lady Wilcox for her great support. I also support
the Minister; this may have been her first Bill, but we have
worked very constructively together and I thank her for her
approach to the Bill, her approach to the House and for her time
and that of her officials.
(LD)
My Lords, I had better remind the House of my relevant local
government interests, as set out in the register. Throughout the
Bill, we have supported its purpose. We have simply worked hard
to try to make what we believed were essential improvements. Of
course, in the area of energy efficiency, the amendment from my
group was accepted by the Government and the Minister. I know
that housing campaigns across the country were very pleased that
it was accepted as a key priority for the regulator.
I thank the Minister for coming in at the deep end, taking on the
Bill, and being so helpful in enabling pre-reading discussions on
it and amendments that we wished to table. It always eases the
path of a Bill if we can do that. I therefore look forward to the
next time, when we might also be able to work together
constructively for the benefit of people out there.
I record my thanks to the Grenfell Tower campaigners. Despite the
terrible tragedy that they experienced, they have never faltered
over the last five years in their determination to see action on
improving social housing. Here we have a Bill that should make
social housing safer and fairer for tenants. I look forward to it
coming back unamended from the other end.
Bill passed and sent to the Commons.
