I propose to take Questions Nos. 262 and 263 together.
My Department monitors activity and expenditure across all programmes on an ongoing basis to ensure productive spend and value for money for the resources invested.
In the area of housing a number of procedures are in place. The specific allocations for each authority are informed by both the level of contractual commitments for the following year and the extent of social housing need in each authority's functional area. Following the notification of allocations to all local authorities at the start of the year, my Department then monitors drawdown on a continual basis through direct engagement at official level.
Each year as part of the Housing Action Plan (HAP) review process my Department meets twice with each housing authority, in spring and autumn, to discuss their social housing programmes.
In January, prior to the spring HAP meetings, my Department issues provisional allocations and expenditure projections. These figures are to be used as the basis for the operational programmes for housing authorities and are discussed at the spring HAP meetings.
The primary purpose of the spring 2010 HAP meeting was to:
agree the work programme for the year;
confirm financial and physical outputs;
outline the parameters within which the investment programmes for 2011 — 2013 are to be prepared; and
agree a list of projects that have been deferred until such time as budgetary conditions improve to enable these projects to advance.
Final allocations are issued after the spring HAP meeting and all local authorities are advised of their allocation under each of the social housing programmes.
The primary purpose of the autumn 2010 HAP meeting was to:
confirm financial and physical output for the current year, including progress under the Social Leasing Initiative; and
further outline the parameters within which the investment programmes for 2011 — 2013 are to be prepared.
Additionally, the HAP process is supplemented by continuous and ongoing engagement between my Department and the Local Authorities.
Local authorities also receive a monthly statement of expenditure which clearly shows drawdown in monetary terms by subhead item and the percentage of their allocations drawn down to date.