§ 24. Mr. Clifford ForsytheTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to what extent the new budget for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive takes account of the difficulties faced by the executive in making adequate provision for the elderly, the disabled, and the homeless and in maintaining and improving existing housing stock.
§ Mr. NeedhamHousing needs and conditions in Northern Ireland are assessed annually by the Housing Executive and the results of its reviews are considered fully when the public expenditure allocations for Northern Ireland are decided. While it has not proved possible to provide all of the funds sought by the Housing Executive for 1988–89, in recognition of the difficulties faced by the NIHE, the resources allocated are, in terms of expenditure per capita, significantly above other regions of the United Kingdom. It will be for the executive to propose, in the first instance, how these resources should be used in the provision of the various services which it supplies to tenants and applicants.