Housing and Regeneration Bill

I remain troubled. There is no suggestion that the chief executive or other members of staff should not attend and give advice, but there is an enormous distinction between advising and being part of the decision-making process. The Minister referred to the staff being accountable to the board. That is how I still see it. I also find troubling the proposition that one has to create a committee substantially consisting of staff because the board members cannot manage to attend the number of committees, particularly when it is possible to appoint people outside the pool of board members and staff to committees and sub-committees. Perhaps we should look at the scheme of delegation for the new agency when it comes along. I do not want to try to trip up the noble Baroness, Lady Ford, but it occurred to me that in the scenario she painted there might be the possibility of a quorum being achieved by members of staff only. She is nodding. That supports my case. I will think about this further. For reasons known by those who have followed the recent sagas in London, governance arrangements are uppermost in my mind, and I would like to see this governance-proofed, if I can put it that way, before we give it our blessing. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendments Nos. 9 to 12 not moved.] Schedule 1 agreed to. Clause 2 [Objects]: