§ Mr. Don FosterTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made towards meeting the commitment set out in the Government's housing policy statement "A Way Forward For Housing", to strengthen the obligation on registered social landlords to co-operate with local authorities in the discharge of their statutory housing functions. [155836]
Mr. Robert AinsworthIn the Housing Policy Statement (The Way Forward for Housing, December 2000), the Government undertook to strengthen the obligation on registered social landlords to work with local authorities on lettings. We will deliver this undertaking through best practice guidance derived from the experiences of the 27 local authority choice-based letting pilots announced on 22 March 2001,Official Report, column 291W, and through strengthened guidance to registered social landlords from the Housing Corporation, under S36 of the Housing Act 1996. The Corporation plans to issue for consultation a draft of its revised Statutory Housing Management Guidance in May.