(10 years, 9 months ago)
Commons ChamberOrder. I am just going to help a little bit. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman wants to catch my eye, in which case he will not get in at the moment because of how many interventions we have already had. That is how bad it is: we are cutting each other’s speaking times down. That will have to go down to four minutes shortly and some people will drop off the end.
I note the Minister’s support for the concept of pooling. It is right that if local authorities choose to bring their capacities together, they should be allowed to do so. Does that not rather contrast, however, with the Government’s response to the Select Committee’s report on housing, in which we suggested that local authorities might be able to pool their capabilities to borrow under their housing revenue account—
Order. Mr Betts, I do not know how long you have been in the Chamber. I presume you have not just come in. That was a very long intervention. I am sure the Minister will recognise the question that you have posed to him already. I take it that you had finished the question, as it was so long.