The Housing-Related Functions of the Department of Finance (Exercise by the Housing Executive) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2022

Made

Coming into operation: 1st March 2022

The Department for Communities [^f00001], in exercise of the functions conferred by section 21 (1), (2)(a) and (3)(d) of the Housing (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 [^f00002], makes the following Regulation:

Citation and commencement

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Housing-Related Functions of the Department of Finance (Exercise by the Housing Executive) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2022 and shall come into operation on 1st March 2022.

Arrangements for exercise of housing-related functions of the Department of Finance

2

• (1) For the purposes of section 21 of the Housing (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 –

• (a) the Department of Finance is a prescribed statutory authority,

• (b) its functions under the statutory provisions listed in the Schedule are prescribed housing-related functions, and

• (c) arrangements for the exercise of those functions by the Executive on behalf of that Department are prescribed arrangements.

• (2) The Executive and the Department of Finance may enter into arrangements for the exercise by the Executive on behalf of that Department of the prescribed housing-related functions if the arrangements are likely to lead to an improvement in the way in which those functions are exercised.

• (3) Arrangements under paragraph (2) may include provision for the Department of Finance to continue to exercise the prescribed housing-related functions in relation to cases arising before the arrangements come into operation.

Sharing of information

3

• (1) The Department of Finance may supply to the Executive such information as the Executive may require for the purposes of its functions under arrangements entered into under regulation 2(2).

• (2) The Executive may supply to the Department of Finance such information as it may require for the purposes of arrangements entered into under regulation 2(2).

• (3) Information supplied under paragraph (1) to the Executive must not be supplied to any other person or body without the consent of the Department of Finance.

• (4) Where information supplied under this regulation has been used for the purposes for which it was supplied, it is lawful for it to be used for any purpose for which information held for those purposes could reasonably be used.

• (5) This regulation does not limit the circumstances in which information may be supplied apart from this regulation.

SCHEDULE — HOUSING-RELATED FUNCTIONS

• Section 126 of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992

• Schedule 7 to the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000

• Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

• Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

• Housing Benefit (Consequential Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006

• Rate Relief (Qualifying Age) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007

• Rate Relief (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2007

Signed

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Communities on 2nd February 2022

Paul Price — A senior officer of the — Department for Communities

Explanatory note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

EXPLANATORY NOTE

These Regulations enable the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Department of Finance to enter into arrangements for the exercise by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive on behalf of the Department of Finance of functions relating to housing benefit and rate relief for owner occupiers.

Footnotes

[^f00001]: See section 1(7) of the Departments Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 (c.5)

[^f00002]: 2011 c. 22 (N.I.)