asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will reimburse tenants, under the appropriate provisions of the Northern Ireland Housing Order 1977, for expenditure incurred in having their electrical wiring inspected for the purposes of applying for a certificate of disrepair, under the Rent (Northern Ireland) Order 1978, from the district or city councils.

The Rent (Northern Ireland) Order 1978 empowers district councils to issue certificates of disrepair where either landlords or tenants fail to carry out repairs which are their responsibility as defined in the order. This includes the certification that a house is in need of electrical rewiring, but since district councils do not charge for inspections the question of a grant does not arise.