Ms Marguerite Ryan:

The local authority can make the decision on a purchase when using its own resources. If it is looking for funding or sanction to borrow, it must come to the Department for pre-approval of that borrowing. That sanction goes through a process where it is checked by the relevant teams. It is run by both the housing and planning teams in the Department to assess whether the application is consistent with what is required for that area and the strategic priorities for that borrowing.