Building Societies Association
The BSA is represented on the Government’s Home Finance Forum which is chaired jointly by Lord Myners (Financial Services Secretary to the Treasury) and John Healey MP (Housing Minister). The Home Finance Forum brings lenders, trade associations, debt advisers, the tripartite and on occasion, house builders and mortgage intermediaries. This forum has been in place for a little over a year now and has emerged as a very useful discussion forum for both industry and government.
In 2009 its work covered the future shape of the UK mortgage market, access to government schemes, repossessions, funding, data collection, EU and international issues as well as lending for first time buyers.
The forum’s early work plan for 2010 is focused on Innovation, Forbearance and Non-Bank, and Building Society, Lending. This work will be taken forward by three sub-groups. The BSA and IMLA is jointly leading the work on non-bank and building society lending. The initial policy focus will be funding, the increasing regulatory environment and competition. The BSA will also be a part of the working group on forbearance which is being led by Communities and Local Government.
