Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what criteria were used to select the 38 additional local authorities included in the expansion of the Rent Repayment Order data-sharing scheme.

The Department for Work and Pensions has worked closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to develop and implement the Rent Repayment Order pilot. The opportunity to participate was offered to all local authorities through Operation Jigsaw, an organisation currently funded by MHCLG, which brings together 309 local housing authorities in England to support the sharing of expertise, best practices, and vital intelligence both regionally and nationally to raise housing standards in the private rented sector.