Housing and Regeneration Bill

moved Amendment No. 107BA: 107BA: Clause 118, page 50, line 14, leave out ““may”” and insert ““shall”” The noble Baroness said: In moving Amendment No. 107BA, I shall speak also to Amendments Nos. 107BB and 107BC. These amendments to Clause 118 probe the comment made by the Minister Iain Wright in the Commons Committee: "““It should be remembered that compulsory deregistration is at the regulator’s discretion””.—[Official Report, Commons, Housing and Regeneration Bill Committee, 29/1/08; col. 596.]" That struck me as an odd notion. Does ““may”” in Clause 118(1) mean ““may”” as normal readers would understand it, or is it ““may”” in legislative language—meaning ““shall””? My second amendment would remove the words, ““take all reasonable steps”” to give a body notice of deregistration, to suggest that a body should always be given notice except when that body has ceased to exist. The third amendment changes 14 to 42 days. It is not intended to tease the Government, but 14 days seems a very short period indeed. I want to hear why the Government feel that such a short period is right. In Amendment No. 107BB, on a company ceasing to exist, I used the language used in Clause 118(1)(c), although there will always be something, unless the company has been struck off the register. For instance, if it is in liquidation, there will be a liquidator. I beg to move.