Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has considered introducing additional safeguards within the social housing mutual exchange process, including clearer communication requirements, greater transparency and accountability for prospective exchanges; and what steps her Department is taking to support tenants with evidenced housing needs who are unable to secure a mutual exchange.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 33552 on 28 October.

In addition to considering whether mutual exchange is right for them, tenants can also discuss with their social landlord whether a transfer would be appropriate. Existing social tenants who are applying for a transfer must be treated on the same basis as new applicants if they are considered to have reasonable preference for social housing. The rules on allocations to existing tenants can be found here.