§ Mr. WeirTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidance his Department has given to local authorities relating to the rights of persons leaving the armed forces to be included in council house waiting lists on conclusion of their service in the area in which they last served. [138220]
§ Keith HillAs the hon. Member will be aware, housing is a devolved matter.
The Code of Guidance on the Allocation of Accommodation which was issued to English housing authorities in November 2002 and came into force at the end of January 2003 states that housing authorities must consider all applications and cannot exclude applicants who, for example, are not currently resident in the district. However, the Code of Guidance makes clear that, in determining relative priorities for an allocation, authorities are able to have regard to whether or not applicants have a local connection with the district. The Code of Guidance does refer specifically to the rights of persons leaving the armed forces to be included in council waiting lists.