AQW 3343/16-21

Mr Fra McCann
Sinn Féin
West Belfast

Tabled Date: 19/09/2016
Answered On Date: 28/09/2016
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to outline the progress to date on achieving data sharing protocols on empty homes between Land and Property Services, his Department, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and local councils.

Answer:

My Department is in the process of finalising a data sharing protocol on empty homes with Land and Property Services.

Land and Property Services has a data sharing agreement in place with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and is updating the protocol to reflect any changes following the commencement of the Housing (Amendment) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016.

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive, as part of their work on the empty homes strategy agreed a data sharing protocol with the Belfast City Council on the 23rd November 2015 which came into effect from 1st March 2016.