CHAPTER II REGISTRATION OF HOUSING ASSOCIATIONS
Payments and grant of benefits by registered housing associations31
1
Subject to paragraph (5), a registered housing association shall not make any payment or grant any benefit to—
a
a person who is, or at any time within the relevant period has been, a committee member, officer or employee of the association;
b
a close relative of such a person; or
c
a business trading for profit in which a person falling within sub-paragraph (a) has a personal interest.
2
In paragraph (1)(a), “the relevant period” means the period of 12 months immediately preceding the making of the payment or the grant of the benefit.
3
For the purposes of paragraph (1)(c), a person has a personal interest in a business if he, or a close relative of his, either is one of the principal proprietors of the business or is directly concerned with its management.
4
Any sum paid, or the value of any benefit granted, by a registered housing association in breach of paragraph (1) shall be recoverable by the association; and proceedings for its recovery shall be taken by the association if the Department gives it a direction to that effect.
5
This Article does not apply to—
a
any payment made or benefit granted by a registered housing association to an officer or employee under his contract of employment with the association;
b
any payment of expenses made by such an association to a member of its committee;
c
any payment to which, by virtue of paragraph (2) of Article 30, paragraph (1) of that Article does not apply;
d
any payment of expenses to which Article 30(3)(c) applies;
e
the grant or renewal of a tenancy of a house; or
f
any payment made or benefit granted by a registered housing association in such class or classes of case as may be specified in a determination made by the Department.
6
The Department may make different determinations for the purposes of paragraph (5)(f) and, before making such a determination, the Department shall consult such bodies appearing to it to be representative of registered housing associations as it considers appropriate; and after making such a determination the Department shall publish the determination in such manner as it considers appropriate for bringing it to the notice of the associations concerned.