To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on the criteria to be used in the allocation of social housing to people released from prison. (227121)

The statutory Allocations Code of Guidance, issued in 2002, does not provide advice on general categories of people released from prison. The guidance does however advise housing authorities that, where sex offenders are allocated accommodation, this should be in the light of considered decisions about managing risk associated with their release from prison into the community involving multi-agency arrangements with the police, probation services, social services, health professionals and other relevant bodies. The code also refers local authorities to earlier guidance issued by the Department in November 1999. This document is available from the following link.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/pdf/157737.pdf

The statutory Code of Guidance on Choice Based Lettings, issued this year and placed in the Library on 26 August, offers advice to enable prisoners to access the information necessary to make informed decisions about homes they may wish to bid for on release from prison. This document is available from the following link.

http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/doc/cblguidance.docl.