Lord Christopher
Main Page: Lord Christopher (Labour - Life peer)Department Debates - View all Lord Christopher's debates with the HM Treasury
(15 years ago)
Lords Chamber Lord Sassoon
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Lord Sassoon 
        
    
        
    
        My Lords, questions about what people can afford to pay are essentially for the mortgage provider to judge in the context of its commercial decisions, made within the responsible lending guidelines set down by the FSA.
 Lord Christopher
    
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Lord Christopher 
        
    
        
    
        My Lords, can the Minister offer a view on why equity release schemes should be regarded as sub-prime mortgages? I should have thought that such arrangements were highly desirable, given the age distribution that we face.
 Lord Sassoon
        
    
    
    
    
    
        
        
        
            Lord Sassoon 
        
    
        
    
        My Lords, I regret that I am not going to be drawn into making judgments which are for the financial regulators to make.