Ms ?ine Stapleton:

Mr. Owens touched on a few issues. One was the issue of the Housing Agency applying an assessment where a previous assessment had taken place. I might ask the Housing Agency to comment on that in more detail. Essentially, the Housing Agency is now managing that aspect of the scheme and it is bringing consistency to the approach in terms of the work of the inspections. I think there is a value in the Housing Agency having an overarching view and oversight of that. Notwithstanding there may be a small number of instances where there is a difference of opinion, there is a value in that role being taken by the Housing Agency to bring consistency to the process.

Mr. Owens also touched on the commencement of section 45(2)(d) in respect of professional indemnity insurance. My understanding is the amendment was taken as the Bill went through the Houses. Our legal advice is that there are some challenges with interpretation of the wording in that provision and we would be challenged to commence it without looking again at the wording of the section. That is our current challenge around that provision of the Act.