§ Mr. SykesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to make regulations exempting further classes of people from the allocation provisions in part VI of the Housing Act 1996; and if he will make a statement. [10337]
§ Mr. CurryThe Government are committed to ensuring that the new allocations provisions in part VI of the 1996 Act do not compromise the present arrangements under which many local authorities accept a limited number of referrals from welfare agencies and hostels for homeless people. I have reflected carefully on whether it is necessary to make regulations in order to allow such arrangements to continue, and have concluded that it is not. There is sufficient flexibility inherent in part VI to allow local authorities to maintain such arrangements within the new allocation schemes they will be establishing, and I am issuing guidance to this effect.