Northern Ireland Housing Executive

HC Deb 05 July 1979 vol 969 cc1537-9

4. Mr. Bradford

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Rowland report in respect of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

14. Mrs. Knight

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will publish the conclusions of the Rowland Commission.

The Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Mr. Philip Goodhart)

The report of the investigatory Commission into Northern Ireland Housing Executive contracts, chaired by Judge Rowland, was laid before Parliament today as a Command Paper. I have placed in the Library of the House a copy of a statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on the report, and additional copies have been sent to all Members from Northern Ireland. The report shows that substantial sums of public money have been wasted. Action has already been taken to correct the errors that were made and further action will be taken to tighten control over housing expenditure in Northern Ireland.

Mr. Bradford

I am grateful to the Minister for that reply. Bearing in mind the Commission's comment that money may have found its way into the hands of the IRA, may I ask how much of the £21 million Housing Executive deficit, which was wiped out by Her Majesty's Government, is estimated to have gone to the IRA through the two Provisional IRA building companies which were set up with the assistance of the former Secretary of State, the right hon. Member for Leeds, South (Mr. Rees)? Secondly, will the Minister take action against those civil servants in the Housing Executive and the Department of the Environment who were involved in the duplication of a £2 million payment which went, first, for maintenance work and, secondly, for rehabilitation work on precisely the same properties?

Mr. Goodhart

On the latter point, the Commission found that many things had gone wrong in the Housing Executive, but it did not find that they had gone as badly wrong as is suggested by the hon. Gentleman. If the hon. Gentleman has any further evidence, I should be glad to receive it.

Substantial sums have been wasted—more than £1 million—and investigations were made over many years by the police and others to see whether there was criminal culpability. Alas, no evidence could be found which was sufficient to bring a charge. Most of those directly responsible have left the employ of the Housing Executive since these regrettable events occurred.

Mrs. Knight

Will my hon. Friend bear in mind that, intentionally or unintentionally, the Rowland Commission was not given the wide-ranging powers by the last Government which it should have been so that it could investigate the truth? When my hon. Friend looks at the conclusions of the Rowland Commission, will he also look very carefully at the report by two policemen from my area in the West Midlands, who investigated the matter thoroughly and found that, through the agency of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, money had been diverted from the taxpayer to firms set up by the IRA, actually in Long Kesh, and that without doubt money went into IRA hands?

Mr. Goodhart

I am grateful for the enthusiasm with which my hon. Friend has pursued over the years these serious wastages of public money. It is absolutely wrong that any public funds, directly or indirectly, should be paid to paramilitary organisations, and we intend to take firm action to see that it never happens again.

Mr. Wm. Ross

Is it not clear from this report that the whole concept of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive was founded upon propaganda? The sooner we get rid of this monstrosity the better.

Mr. Goodhart

I do not accept that. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive has had to face many difficulties since it was set up, but, by and large, it has discharged its duties well.

Mr. John

Will the hon. Gentleman accept it from me when I say that any steps which are taken to tighten up the administration and thus prevent the misuse of public funds will be welcomed by us? Secondly, will he take this opportunity of restating what he put far too strongly, namely, that the conclusion of the Rowland report was that money may have found its way, indirectly, into the hands of the IRA? There is certainly no evidence, according to the statement by his right hon. Friend, that it did so. Thirdly, will he re-emphasise the fact that the Rowland Commission found that the Housing Executive had done a very good job in difficult circumstances?

Mr. Goodhart

I just made that point, I hope. The circumstances were very difficult. The circumstances in which the Housing Executive operates are still very difficult. Alas, it is plain from the evidence in the Rowland report that a substantial sum of money probably found its way, indirectly, into the hands of paramilitary organisations, and we intend to see that that does not happen again.