I17Regulations about powers to require information
1
The appropriate authority may by regulations provide for the exercise, for prescribed housing fraud investigation purposes, of powers to require the provision of information.
2
The appropriate authority may by regulations—
a
make provision about the persons by whom powers conferred by regulations under this section may be exercised;
b
in particular, make provision for the authorisation by local authorities of persons to exercise those powers.
3
The provision that may be made by regulations under this section includes, in particular, provision equivalent to—
a
provision made by a relevant enactment, or
b
provision that is capable of being made under a relevant enactment,
with such modifications as the appropriate authority thinks fit.
4
For the purposes of subsection (3), each of the following enactments is a “relevant enactment”—
a
section 109B of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 (powers to require information);
b
section 110A of that Act (authorisations by local authorities to exercise powers of investigation);
c
section 121DA(2) and (3) of that Act (interpretation of Part 6 of that Act).
5
After the repeal of section 110A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 by Part 1 of Schedule 14 to the Welfare Reform Act 2012, the reference to that section in subsection (4) is to that section as it had effect immediately before it was repealed.
6
A person exercising powers conferred by regulations under this section must have regard to guidance issued or approved by the appropriate authority.
7
In this section “housing fraud investigation purposes” means purposes relating to the prevention, detection or securing of evidence for a conviction of—
a
an offence under this Act;
b
an offence under the Fraud Act 2006 relating to the unlawful sub-letting or parting with possession of the whole or part of a dwelling-house let by a local authority, a private registered provider of social housing or a registered social landlord,
c
an offence under the Fraud Act 2006 relating to an application for an allocation of housing accommodation under Part 6 of the Housing Act 1996,
d
an offence under the Fraud Act 2006 relating to an application for accommodation, or for assistance in obtaining accommodation, under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996,
e
an offence under the Fraud Act 2006 relating to—
i
a claim to exercise the right to buy under Part 5 of the Housing Act 1985,
ii
a claim to exercise the right to acquire under section 16 of the Housing Act 1996, or
iii
a claim to exercise the right to acquire under section 180 of the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008, or
f
an associated offence in relation to an offence mentioned in any of paragraphs (a) to (e).
8
In this section “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations under this section.