§ Mr. Robert McCartneyTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many years residency are required before a United Kingdom citizen not born in Northern Ireland becomes eligible under the standard rules to be housed by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive; and if he will detail some comparable rules in England and Scotland. [11688]
§ Mr. MossAs I confirmed to the hon. Gentleman in my letter of 14 November 1995, the housing selection scheme operated by the Housing Executive and approved by the Department of the Environment provides that, before they can be considered for public housing, applicants—other than those with an entitlement to be housed on a priority basis—must:
- (a) have been born in Northern Ireland; or
- (b) have been resident in Northern Ireland for the past seven years; or
- (c) have accepted an offer of employment or be currently employed in Northern Ireland; or
- (d) would have been resident in Northern Ireland for the past seven years but for employment in the Crown elsewhere.
In England and Wales, local authorities are responsible for allocating housing within the framework laid down in sections 22 and 23 of the Housing Act 1985. A survey carried out by the Department of the Environment in London shows that around 90 per cent. of local authorities in England operate a residency condition. Details of the length of time that each authority requires an applicant to reside in their area is not held centrally.
Sections 9 to 21 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 set out the framework for allocating and managing housing in Scotland. Scottish authorities are required not to take account of an applicant's length of residence. Details of the individual schemes and the authorities' observance of this requirement are not held centrally.