Local Government when final guidance on cost-effective analysis cases will be issued to local authorities;

To ask the Minister for Housing; Planning and Local Government when final guidance on cost-effective analysis cases will be issued to local authorities; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
REPLY



My Department provides advice to local authorities, on an ongoing basis, to support them in delivering social housing projects, including undertaking cost effectiveness analyses in respect of high value projects. It should be noted that local authorities have primary responsibility for evaluating, planning and managing their public investment projects under the Public Spending Code.

Against this background, my Department has recently provided final draft guidance documents to local authorities to support them in undertaking cost effectiveness analyses.  The final draft documents provided include 'Draft Sectoral Guidance for Social Housing Appraisals' and 'Worked Examples of Preliminary Appraisal and Detailed Appraisals'.

Final observations on the draft documents have been sought from the local authorities and adjustments may be made based on that feedback, and also to take account of the review of the Public Spending Code, which was considered by Government yesterday.  However, in the meantime, local authorities can continue to use the draft guidance for any of their projects that require a cost effectiveness analysis.

It is intended that the documentation will be finalised shortly and the final Sectoral Guidance for Social Housing Appraisal will be issued in early 2020.