§ Mr. HumeTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement detailing the Government's intentions on funding in 1989–90 for the Housing Executive to fulfil its proposed new responsibilities to the homeless in Northern Ireland, indicating how much of such funding will be additional and indicating the calculations and considerations involved in arriving at the Government's decision.
§ Dr. Mawhinney[holding answer 24 March 1988]: The resources currently devoted by the health and social services boards to helping homeless people would be transferred to the Housing Executive if the proposal that it should take over responsibility for homelessness is accepted by Parliament.
Future bids by the Housing Executive for additional funding to meet the needs of the homeless would be assessed within the framework of public expenditure surveys.
It is estimated, taking into account the current expenditure of the health and social services boards that additional expenditure of about £300,000 per annum might be required, initially.