18.—(1) The Department may by regulations make provision for the purpose of conferring rights and obligations on any mortgagee of a defective dwelling where—
(a)a power of sale (whether conferred by section 19 of the [1881 c. 41] Conveyancing Act 1881 or otherwise) is exercisable by the mortgagee, and
(b)the mortgagor is eligible for assistance in respect of the defective dwelling.
(2) The rights that may be conferred on a mortgagee by regulations under this Article are—
(a)rights corresponding to those conferred by this Part on a person holding a relevant interest in the defective dwelling,
(b)the right to require the Executive to acquire in accordance with the regulations any interest in the defective dwelling to be disposed of in exercise of the power of sale, and
(c)where the mortgagee is the Executive, the right by deed to vest the dwelling in itself,
and the rights that may be so conferred may be conferred in place of any rights conferred on any other person by this Part.
(3) Regulations under this Article may provide that, where the conditions in paragraph (1)(a) and (b) are or have been satisfied, this Part, the power of sale in question and any enactment relating to the power of sale shall have effect subject to such modifications as may be specified in the regulations.
(4) Where a defective dwelling is vested in a mortgagee in pursuance of regulations under this Article, the regulations may provide for the payment in respect of the vesting of an amount calculated on the assumption that none of the defective dwellings to which the designation in question relates are affected by the qualifying defect.
(5) In this Article “mortgagee” and “mortgagor” have the same meaning as in the Conveyancing Act 1881.