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I have much enjoyed the recent discussion about the Housing Corporation’s efficiency index – particularly those associations quick to praise the index: Community, Bromford, Bristol Churches and the rest.

Remember their names, because I suspect they may not be at the top of the table when it gets revisited later this year.

I was quite pleased with the ranking for Swale Housing Association and 1066 Housing Association, but I expect the 2004 table to show both much further down.

Why? Because over the past two years, both have made a huge investment in decent homes expenditure (none of it capitalised), have seen expenditure on temporary housing for homeless families increase as they work more closely with local authority partners, and have increased their community development expenditure.

I seem to recall that all of these initiatives are seen as government priorities – oh well, at least I know now what to do to put Swale and 1066 back on track.

We must all welcome the increased emphasis on efficiency and – however flawed the corporation’s initial index might be – at least it has got us all talking about the issue.

But let’s hope the Housing Corporation recognises some of the perverse results that might occur if the index is not radically revised.