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Labour plans ‘motion of regret’ for deregulation bill
Labour peers will bring a ‘motion of regret’ against a government bill aimed at reducing councils’ influence over stock transfer housing associations.
The motion will not stop the bill passing but would signal opposition from the upper chamber to the proposals.
The Regulation of Social Housing (Local Authorities) Bill will see councils lose powers of veto over stock transfer housing associations and the right to vote at general meetings.
They will also have board membership limited to a maximum of 24% of the associations’ boards.
Lord Roy Kennedy, a Labour frontbench peer, will table the regret motion tomorrow.
He told Inside Housing: “Some involvement from local authority members is no bad thing, and I just want to ask the government to think about whether this is really necessary.
“It’s not really right for the unelected house to stop the bill, but I will just be seeking to raise the debate and ask the government to explain.”
The measure is seen as necessary as part of a package of deregulatory measures aimed at reversing the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) 2015 decision to reclassify housing associations as public sector bodies.
The ONS recently signalled that the deregulatory measures being brought in will be enough to change the classification once the measures are in force.
These changes to stock transfer landlords will force boardroom reshuffles at many housing associations up and down the country, as well as changes to constitutions and governance arrangements.
