Member

My first instinct was to table an amendment that simply stated that parishes with fewer than 3,000 people should be exempt from the right to buy—a clear definition that I am sure the noble Lord, Lord Fuller, would approve of. As a definition it is simple to understand and simple to designate. It is also fairly simple to de-designate when a parish grows too large and thus, hopefully, no longer needs the protection that such an amendment might give. Furthermore, it would also have given certainty and instant understanding to all involved—both the local authorities and the tenants. Giving the right signals to get on and build houses in those parishes was an important consideration for me.