§ 14. Mr. Dunlopasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many tenants have been ejected by private landlords in Northern Ireland over the past three months.
§ Mr. ConcannonWithin the past three months, two peremptory orders to deliver possession have been issued by the Enforcement of Judgments Office on foot of ejectment decrees lodged by private landlords. In both cases possession of the premises concerned was handed over voluntarily by the former tenant after the order was made.
§ Mr. PowellWill the Minister ensure that the Housing Executive treats court orders for possession as adequate for the purposes of its points scheme, so that it is not necessary to proceed, for that purpose, to actual eviction?
§ Mr. ConcannonThe procedure over eviction is similar to that in this country. Once a family has been evicted, the Area Health and Social Services Board, which must be given 48 hours' notice of any intended eviction, has a statutory duty to provide emergency accommodation if requested.
§ Mr. DunlopI thank the Minister for his reply. Is he aware of the frustration and distress occasioned by the insistence of local managers of the Housing Executive on the application of the full rigour of the law? In other words, they demand the physical ejection of people from houses before they will entertain an application for rehousing in an emergency.
In many cases, relations between the private landlord and tenant are very good, and the landlords do not want to go to those extremes. How is it that we have local managers insisting on eviction? Could we not have a better and more amicable process?
§ Mr. ConcannonThe situation in Northern Ireland is not very different from that in the rest of the United Kingdom, and in some respects it is much better. If I started to tell the hon. Gentleman about the legal steps taken for eviction I should bring down upon myself the wrath of Mr. Speaker and the House. I had better write to the hon. Gentleman.