Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill

I shall certainly write to the noble Baroness to explain the legal relationships and the delegation involved. Housing associations also fall into the category that we are discussing. There is no doubt that they have a role to play in the making of housing policy and related issues. However, they are not public bodies and do not fulfil the criteria. They are either charities, private companies or industrial and provident societies. We have sought to avoid naming organisations of that kind in the Bill. However, they should certainly be involved as voluntary partners in the creation of targets and the delivery of policy. Another problem with including housing associations is that, as we have seen with universities, they often manage properties well outside the area in which they are based. For example, Hyde Housing Association has to partner 54 local authorities. Moreover, the upcoming Cave review of regulation has looked at whether all parts of the domain of social housing should have a statutory duty to co-operate and engage with place-making. A lot is therefore happening in the field of further duties to co-operate. There is no reason why housing associations should not have an important voluntary role. The noble Baroness, Lady Scott, also mentioned the water utilities. Water utilities, like the Post Office, are private companies. It is not appropriate to place such organisations in the Bill, not least because they have their own regulators. Ofwat is the economic regulator for the water companies; the Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate are also involved; and the companies have their own consumer councils. They do not strictly belong in the Bill for that reason. Local strategic partnerships are a slightly different kettle of fish.