01 April 2004
Perplexed MPs took a senior Audit Commission manager to task on March 30 for failing to give a clear answer on whether the commission should take over housing association regulation from the Housing Corporation.
The committee that monitors the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is investigating the corporation's role. An inspection regime for housing associations was launched by the corporation in April 2002, but only six months later the ODPM handed the task to the commission, which already inspected council housing.
This left the corporation in charge of regulating associations' governance and finance and the commission inspecting service delivery.
The commission had told the committee that there were too many regulation and inspection bodies in the public sector. But managing director Frances Done insisted under repeated questioning that it was not for the commission to say whether it should take over a further role.
'You have drawn our attention to there being too many regulatory bodies, you can't say that and then refuse to comment,' committee chair Clive Betts said. 'It is for Parliament to decide, but we look to you for best advice and you will not give it to us.'
The session also heard from chief housing inspector Roy Irwin that stock transfer from councils to housing associations had become too focused on 'relatively short-term' improvements to homes.
'That is important, but people choose a neighbourhood and then choose a home and neighbourhood improvement is important to the long-term success of a transfer,' he said.
PFapr2004
