Simon Kirby

The Housing Minister, Grant Shapps, is to allow local authorities to add important local criteria to create their housing waiting lists in the future.

Brighton and Hove City Council, for example, already insist on a local connection of six months before a person can be considered for housing but other factors could include, length of time on the waiting list, medical need, and family size.

Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown, said:
"This is another radical decentralisation initiative from the coalition Government. Why shouldn't local authorities, who know the local area best, set their own local criteria for council home allocation. This will give a real opportunity to help people that the present system leaves behind."