Advice, strategy and standards

1Supported Housing Advisory Panel

(1)

The Secretary of State must appoint a panel of persons, to be known as “the Supported Housing Advisory Panel”, to provide information and advice about or in connection with supported exempt accommodation to—

(a)

the Secretary of State,

(b)

local housing authorities in England, and

(c)

social services authorities in England.

(2)

The persons appointed under subsection (1) must include—

(a)

at least one person who appears to the Secretary of State to represent the interests of registered providers of social housing in England,

(b)

at least one person who appears to the Secretary of State to represent the interests of local housing authorities in England,

(c)

at least one person who appears to the Secretary of State to represent the interests of social services authorities in England,

(d)

at least one person who appears to the Secretary of State to represent the interests of charities providing supported exempt accommodation, and

(e)

at least one person who appears to the Secretary of State to represent the interests of residents (or potential residents) of supported exempt accommodation;

but the Secretary of State is not required to appoint different persons under each of paragraphs (a) to (e).

(3)

The Secretary of State must, after complying with subsection (2), and after consulting the existing members of the panel, appoint a person to chair the panel, and the person becomes a member of the panel on appointment.

(4)

The Secretary of State must comply with subsections (1) to (3) before the end of the period of one year beginning with the date on which this Act is passed.

(5)

The panel—

(a)

must provide information or advice on such matters within subsection (1), to such persons within that subsection, as the Secretary of State may direct, and

(b)

subject to that, may provide such information or advice within subsection (1), to such persons within that subsection, as it considers appropriate (whether or not requested to do so).

(6)

A member of the panel is to hold and vacate office in accordance with the terms and conditions of the member’s appointment which—

(a)

must include provision requiring the member to declare any financial or other personal interest relevant to the functions of the panel, and

(b)

may include provision under which the member is paid remuneration or allowances.

(7)

A person appointed to the panel under subsection (1) or (3)—

(a)

is to be appointed for a term not exceeding five years, and

(b)

may, upon expiry of that term, be reappointed for one further term not exceeding five years.

(8)

In this section “information and advice about or in connection with supported exempt accommodation” includes information and advice about anything which, in the view of the panel, could have a significant impact on the provision or regulation of supported exempt accommodation.