§ Mr. Robert McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will amend the Northern Ireland Housing Executive's selection criteria in non-priority cases to enable people who have recently moved from other parts of the United Kingdom to be eligible for housing earlier than in accordance with present residence requirement. [3537]
§ Mr. MossIn June 1995 a working group was established comprising representatives from the Northern Ireland Department of the Environment and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to review the Housing Executive's housing selection scheme and to make recommendations. It is planned to issue the group's findings and any proposed changes, for consultation, by the summer of 1996. It would be inappropriate to make changes to the present criteria pending the outcome of that review.
§ Mr. McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Irleand what returns the Housing Executive has made to the Inland Revenue over the last three financial years; and if he will list payments of housing benefit made to private landlords indicating how many different landlords were involved and how much benefit in total was specified. [3541]
§ Mr. MossThe Northern Ireland Housing Executive has annually provided the Inland Revenue with details of all landlords in receipt of direct payments of housing benefit.
The exact number of landlords to whom direct payments have been made is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The estimated number of landlords and the actual amount of benefit paid in each of the last three years is as follows:
Year Estimated number of landlords Total payments made to landlords 1992–93 5,000 29,086,050.88 1993–94 5,500 36,234,396.67 1994–95 6,000 43,783,407.12