HL Deb 24 February 2005 vol 669 cc223-4WA
Lord Kilclooney

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many voluntary housing associations there are in Northern Ireland; how many of these associations had a performance audit by the housing branch of the Northern Ireland Department of Social Development in 2004; and how many of the associations made a financial loss in 2003. [HL1260]

Baroness Amos

There are currently 39 voluntary housing associations registered with the housing division of the Department for Social Development, Northern Ireland. In 2004 the housing division regulation and inspection team commenced performance audits in four of the registered housing associations and progressed a further seven performance audits which had been ongoing from the previous year.

Two registered housing associations recorded a deficit in their annual audited accounts for the year of account ending on 31 December 2003 or the first accounting period, ending after that date.

Lord Kilclooney

asked Her Majesty's Government:

How many meetings about staffing the housing branch of the Northern Ireland Department of Social Development has held with (a) the South Ulster Housing Association; and (b) the Gosford Housing Association since 1 January 2004; and whether anyone from the department involved in these meetings was an applicant for employment by either of these two housing associations. [HL1261]

Baroness Amos

Members of staff from the regulation and inspection branch of housing division in the Department for Social Development, Northern Ireland have held one meeting about staffing with South Ulster Housing Association and one meeting with Gosford Housing Association since I January 2004.

An officer from the division's regulation and inspection team that had been involved in the meeting about staffing in Gosford Housing Association had applied for a post in South Ulster Housing Association. Having declared this potential conflict of interest up front, this officer was not involved in the meeting, nor had access to the inspection papers relating to staffing in South Ulster Housing Association. Housing division is satisfied that any actual or perceived conflict of interest was appropriately handled in this instance.