To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action will be taken to address the backlog of maintenance and improvement work to (a) Housing Executive and (b) housing association homes. [89601]

Maintenance and improvement of its stock is the Housing Executive's top priority and in the current financial year £113 million has been allocated for this purpose. I will continue to seek the necessary funding to ensure that the Housing Executive has adequate resources to deal with its continuing needs and priorities in this regard. The Housing Executive is at present formulating a maintenance investment strategy to re-appraise expenditure priorities over the next 10 years.Registered Housing Associations are responsible for maintenance and major repairs work to their own properties and fund the necessary works from their own resources. There is no backlog in these areas, but housing association maintenance/improvement activities are audited on a regular basis to ensure compliance with the Department's requirements which includes the Tenants' Guarantee and the Right to Repair Scheme.