Social Housing Bill [HL]

Lord Deben Excerpts

Committee stage
Monday 15th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Holmes of Richmond (Con)]

My Lords, I will speak to Amendments 101 and 104 in this group, which are in my name. Quite simply, they would impose equality impact assessments and ESG assessments, ensuring that, in this important area of work, local authorities and landlords are doing the right thing by tenants but in a way which is equitable across all protected characteristics for the many vulnerable people they have in their care in the social housing sector.

That is critical as, without an EIA, it is impossible to have the evidence that something is occurring. This would be good not only for tenants and those who want to see that the right thing is being done but for landlords and those with responsibilities. The evidence could be brought to bear that they are operating in a way which is equitable and accessible, and they could prove that point. If the EIA demonstrated that that is not the case, action could be taken to address those inequalities.

On Amendment 104 and the ESG assessment, the environmental case is clear for housing with the energy crisis we currently have. Equally important are the “S” and “G”, which often do not get the same focus. Looking at the composition of housing boards here is critically important as well. Quite simply, the two amendments would fit together to ensure that there is clarity around EIA and ESG when it comes to this important area of work.

[Lord Deben (Con)]

I support the amendments in the name of the noble Lord, Lord Holmes, in particular on the ESG framework. The reason is, frankly, that we need better figures about what is happening. I say to the Minister that this is not because I disagree with the Bill—in many ways it is a perfectly reasonable Bill—but because Parliament needs to know more about what happens when we make decisions and what is actually on rather than what we hoped was going to happen. That is why these two amendments are valuable.

I hope the Minister will not be disappointed if I say that I am very much concerned about the protected characteristics. However, I also want to say that I was disappointed that, in her summing up at Second Reading, she did not refer in any way to the problems of rural housing. We talk about protected characteristics, but the way in which this House increasingly ignores what is happening in rural areas is a disgrace. The ESG framework, proposed in Amendment 104, is important here, because there is a particular problem in the countryside with the quality of social housing that is provided. I hope that the Minister will, in future, always think about the particularities and worries of the countryside. Above all, we need to know, because then we can assess whether this is as good a Bill as we hope it will be or whether it will need changes in the future. If we do not have the figures, we cannot possibly make proper statements.

I hope that housing can be more and more understood as something that can be cross-partied agreed, disagreed and argued, and then it will come down to the facts. For far too long we have argued about housing from principles and party-political views and have not got down to where we actually are. The noble Lord, Lord Holmes, has done the Committee a great service in asking that we get facts and know what is actually happening in order that we can make decisions in the future.