Examination of Witnesses (Questions 460-464)
RT HON
KEITH HILL
MP, MR NEIL
MCDONALD
AND MR
PETER RUBACK
17 MAY 2004
Q460 Chairman: Is there no conflict at
all between a regional strategy which might be pushing investment
through housing associations a particular way, and perhaps the
housing boards arguing for a particular approach? The Housing
Corporation might find a conflict where, say, it wants to turn
the tap of investment off on a particular association because
of its failure to deliver maybe in terms of service delivery.
Keith Hill: I do not think so.
Q461 Chairman: Certainly the Housing
Corporation were talking to us about maybe using the investment
tap as a regulatory mechanism which could conflict sometimes with
the regional policy desire which the Corporation is part of.
Keith Hill: I apologise for interrupting
you in my enthusiasm.
Q462 Chairman: You do it frequently,
Minister!
Keith Hill: Let me say that using
the investment tap, as it were, as a regulatory device is something
which I personally want to think about but I think it is only
likely to operate at the margin of the housing delivery we are
dealing with here. It does seem to me, if I can just reformulate
the general proposition in your question, absolutely reasonable
that Government should want to use the expertise that the Housing
Corporation has in terms of the broader housing market, in terms
of identifying its national policies, and indeed in quantifying
its allocations of investment to the regions, but then within
the regions it seems entirely reasonable that the regional expertise
of the Housing Corporation should be used to identify the opportunities
for investment at the regional level.
Q463 Chairman: Thank you. Minister, thank
you very much indeed.
Keith Hill: Is that it?
Q464 Chairman: Sorry, I lost the other
10 questions! Thank you for attending and answering our questions
so openly.
Keith Hill: Mr Betts, can I say
it has been a pleasure to do business with you all!
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