After section 17 of the 1987 Act there shall be inserted the following sections—
(1)A local authority shall, in relation to their management of the houses which they hold for housing purposes, publish each year such information as—
(a)may be prescribed by the Secretary of State about—
(i)the standard of service of management which the authority undertake to provide;
(ii)the authority’s performance in the past in the achievement of that standard;
(iii)the authority’s intentions for the future in relation to the achievement of that standard;
(iv)any other matter which he thinks should be included in the information to be published;
(b)the authority consider it appropriate to publish in relation to the matters mentioned in paragraph (a) above, either as a result of having consulted tenants or otherwise;
(c)the authority consider it appropriate to publish in relation to any other matter, either as a result of consulting tenants or otherwise.
(2)Before publishing such information, a local authority shall consult their tenants as to the information to be published under subsection (1) and shall take account of the characteristics of the different parts of their districts or areas and of the difference in information which may be appropriate in relation to these parts.
(3)The Secretary of State may direct a local authority to consult tenants or groups of tenants representing less than the whole of their district or area.
At the same time as the information is published, the local authority shall send a copy of the document in which it is published to the Secretary of State who may, if he considers that the publication is unsatisfactory, direct the local authority to publish the information in such manner as he specifies in the direction.
A local authority shall, if the Secretary of State gives them notice to do so, prepare and submit to him within 3 months after such notice, a plan for the management of the houses which they hold for housing purposes.”