Consultation
4.Certain of the provisions originally formed part of a draft Order in Council (intended to give effect to various housing commitments in the Tenants and Citizens Charters) that was laid before Parliament in 1996 but did not progress because of a change in Government. That draft Order was subject to the usual consultation procedures. Other provisions arise mainly from a Housing Policy Review published in 1996 and recommendations in a report on Travellers accommodation published in 1998, both of which were subject to consultation.
5.The full provisions were published for consultation in March 2002 and a draft Bill was introduced in the Northern Ireland Assembly on 25 June 2002.