Shapps refuses to rule out joining TSA and HCA under Tory government
Tories consider quango merger
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The Conservative Party could look at merging the Homes and Communities Agency with the Tenant Services Authority, as part of its pledge to reduce the number and influence of UK quangos if it wins the next general election.
Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps refused to rule out the possibility of a merger this week.
Asked if he would reunite the two organisations, Mr Shapps said: ‘All options are on the table.’
They were formed just seven months ago when the Housing Corporation’s affordable housing investment arm was split from its regulatory role.
The TSA became social housing regulator and the investment teams were merged with regeneration quango English Partnerships to form the HCA.
There has been much speculation about what future these agencies might have under a Tory government, with Mr Shapps insisting the HCA has until the election to prove its worth.
That speculation intensified this week after Conservative leader David Cameron directed members of his shadow cabinet to review every quango in their portfolio.
Mr Shapps said the priorities for the review would be to bring policy decisions under ministerial control, and ensure quangos provided value for money. ‘I’ve always been very straight with Sir Bob Kerslake, chief executive of the HCA, and said you’ve got this period of time now before the election to show us what you can deliver for the public cash you get,’ he said.
On the TSA, he said: ‘I want to see how this organisation is going to run. At the moment it doesn’t seem to have gone much further than strategies and consultations. I want to see outputs.’
David Orr, chief executive of the National Housing Federation, said: ‘If the investor and the regulator are the same organisation, there’s a real danger that regulatory requirements are imposed through investment decisions, and that’s just wrong.’
Readers' comments (10)
Mr Sharabi | Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:37 GMT
Is this like merging the parliamentary watchdog with Parliament? Or the Audit Commission with the Elected Government? Or the tax payer with the HMRC? I know what, lets merge the voter with Central Government, thereby neutering the voter of all choices and persuasions, and carrying out the will of a handful of senior civil servants and Cabinet Ministers....hang on a minute, is that not already happening?
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george landy | Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:20 GMT
You couldn't make it up. How much has it cost to split the two and how much would it cost to knit them back together again? Only in England.
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U N Believable | Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:03 GMT
Hey, I've thought of a name for this new body. The Housing Corporation. What do you think?
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U N Believable 2 | Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:40 GMT
I thought the tory mantra was to cut out waste, surely 'blowing' and I literally mean 'blowing' money on a merger of this kind is frivalous in a time of austerity.
Add to the points made by Mr Sharabi, this is a sham.
I am A-political, but this just proves how inept the tories will be should they get power. I am genuinely scared for June 2010.
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Paul Clark | Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:43 GMT
It is absolutely right to ensure that each quango is necessary - most are not. Tax-payers' money should be controlled by ministers who are accountable to parliament and the electorate, not unelected "experts" or self-styled "great and good".
It's good to have an Audit Commission ensuring there is no fraud, but why have a quango to tell RSLs and local councils how to manage housing? This is just another symptom of an over-grown state which needs to be trimmed back drastically to pay the interest on the money Gordon Brown has borrowed over the years.
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kass | Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:55 GMT
It is by now clear that as far as social housing goes the Tories will never get it right... in this sector they even make new labour look good. what a shame.
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A tenant | Sat, 11 Jul 2009 06:01 GMT
We do need a body of people to look after us and make sure our LA or RSL are doing right by us, so many LA tenants are controlled by an uncaring conservative majority, the very idea of wasting all the money (our money) that has been spent setting up the TSA or should I say splitting the Housing Corporation and then suggesting joining it back together again just defies logic. Can we please have every social housing home capable of keeping its tenants affordably warm and without slugs crawling around under wallpaper before you waste any more money trying to determine what is the right way to monitor our standard of living. It might pay all of you in government to listen to us instead of simply giving lip service. One day someone will be brave enough to take you to the court of human rights for the way you allow our homes to deteriorate despite sitting on, what was it now 30million from the HRA subsidy (our rent money) I and many of us are sick and tired of reports of how you intend to deliver a better service, you, one party or another, have been discussing since God knows when, stop playing with it and come up with something constructive and give us confidence that you are considering the people that live in these houses, their HOMES.
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Mr Sharabi | Sat, 11 Jul 2009 12:07 GMT
Personally, I would like to see a cross representation of 'experts', government representatives, lay people, and members of the community with special interests, engaged in the running of quangos so that there is greater transparency and improved processes to facilitate a more well rounded discussion of the main issues affecting each quango and the sector within which they operate. At the moment, a lot of the quangos come across as a 'shut shop' which appears to be a cause for concern not just for the Tories, but the general public too.
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Jim Paton | Sun, 12 Jul 2009 01:34 GMT
"Hey, I've thought of a name for this new body. The Housing Corporation. What do you think?"
Ridiculous! If it was called that, people would soon be referring to it as "the corpy" and it would be reviled as a hangout for overpaid suits completely out of touch with people's real housing problems.
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Chris Hughes | Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:18 GMT
The Tories are so keen on cutting so called red tape isn't this what got us into the banking crisis, and the debates around parliamentary expences.
They have never cared about social housing or about those of us who live in social housing. We are still suffering the effects of right to buy which has decimated council housing and led to the increase in poor quality private sector accomodation.
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