Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has plans to extend Section 5 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to apply to housing associations undertaking public sector contracts; and whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of this on the (a) (i) accountability and (ii) transparency of these contracts and (ii) accessibility of information relating to social housing.

The government is committed to increasing accountability and transparency in the social rented sector.

We will direct the Regulator of Social Housing (‘the regulator’) to introduce new Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs) for private providers of social housing, including housing associations, to enable residents to request information about their housing management.

All registered providers of social housing are already required to deliver the outcomes of the regulator’s Transparency, Influence and Accountability standard, which requires registered providers to ensure that communication with and information for tenants is clear, accessible, relevant, timely and appropriate to the diverse needs of tenants.