2003 No. 609 (C. 34)

HOUSING

The Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2003

Made

The Scottish Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 14(1) and (2) of the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 20031 and of all other powers enabling them in that behalf, hereby make the following Order:

Citation1

This Order may be cited as the Homelessness etc (Scotland) Act 2003 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2003.

Commencement of Provisions2

Sections 1 to 3, 7, 9 and 10 of the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 shall come into force on 30th January 2004.

MARGARET CURRANA member of the Scottish ExecutiveSt Andrew’s House, Edinburgh

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order brings into force various provisions of the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003.

Article 2 set out that the provisions contained in sections 1 to 3, 7, 9 and 10 of the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 are to come into force on 30th January 2004.

Sections 1 to 3 relate to extension of priority need categories under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 (“the 1987 Act”), allow for the abolition of the priority need test, and for provision of a statement by Scottish Ministers in relation to that abolition. Section 7 extends the circumstances in which residence in a district is not of a person’s own choice under the 1987 Act to residence in accommodation provided under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Section 9 deals with the suitability of interim accommodation for homeless persons. Section 10 substitutes the definition of domestic violence in the 1987 Act for one of domestic abuse, in line with the meaning of domestic abuse in the Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001.