6.—(1) The Department may request[F1 the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland]F1 to conduct or assist the Department in conducting studies designed to improve economy, efficiency, effectiveness and quality of performance in the discharge by the Housing Executive of functions relating to the administration of housing benefit.
(2) In the following provisions of this Article “study” means a study which[F1 the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland]F1 is requested to conduct, or assist the Department in conducting, under paragraph (1).
(3) If[F1 the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland]F1 requires the Housing Executive or any officer or member of the Executive to supply him or an authorised person with such information as is needed for the purposes of the study, the Executive or officer or member shall supply the information.
(4) If[F1 the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland]F1 requires the Housing Executive to make available for inspection by him or by an authorised person documents which relate to the Executive and are needed for the purposes of the study, the Executive shall make the documents available.
(5) Any information obtained under a requirement under paragraph (3) or (4) may be disclosed by[F1 the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland]F1 to the Department for the purposes of any of its functions which are connected with housing benefit.
(6) In paragraphs (3) and (4) “authorised person” means a person authorised by[F1 the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland]F1 for the purposes of this Article.
(7) [F1The Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland]F1 shall send to the Department a copy of any report of a study; and the Department or a local government auditor may send a copy of a report of a study to the Housing Executive.
(8) Any report of a study may be published by the Department.
(9) [F1The Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland]F1 shall not conduct, or assist the Department in conducting, a study unless, before he does so, the Department has made arrangements for the payment of such reasonable amount as may be agreed between it and[F1 The Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland]F1 in respect of the study.
(10) The Department may supply to[F1 the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland]F1 any information held by it which relates to housing benefit and which appears to it to be relevant to the exercise of any function of[F1 the Comptroller and Auditor General for Northern Ireland]F1.
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