asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will lay the latest accounts of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive before Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

The accounts of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive for 1976–77, together with the reports of the Local Government Auditor and of the Comptroller and Auditor-General thereon, were laid today. I am naturally concerned about the matters raised by the Local Government Auditor and the Department of the Environment has been in close consultation with the executive to ensure that all possible action is being taken by the Executive to remedy deficiencies. I will arrange for a statement of the action taken by the Executive to be made available in the Library. The report underlines the need to strengthen the Executive's organisation and the authority of the board which the board and my Department had already recognised and are acting on. An investigatory commission set up by the Secretary of State following a request by the then chairman of the Executive, Mr. J. O'Hara, has been examining allegations about the management of certain contracts by the Executive.