HC Deb 03 April 1980 vol 982 cc365-6W
Mr. Frank R. White

asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many homeless households there were in Northern Ireland for each of the last five years.

Mr. Goodhart

The Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 does not extend to Northern Ireland and the housing of homeless persons is primarily a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive. However, I understand that the Housing Executive's Housing Selection Scheme awards special status (Group A1) to applicants who are homeless, immediately threatened with homelessness or who need to be afforded priority because of an emergency. Information relating to Group A1 applicants is as follows:

Number on the Register on
*31 December 1975 336
*31 December 1976 296
31 December 1977 249
31 December 1978 265
31 December 1979 525

Total number housed during the year
1975 not available
1976 486*
1977 893
1978 832
1979 1178
*only emergency cases