Citation, commencement and extent

1. —(1) This Order may be cited as the Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) (Amendment) Order 2001 and shall come into force on 2nd July 2001.

(2) This Order extends to England and Wales only.

Amendments

2.The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997( 2 ) shall be amended in accordance with the following provisions of this Order.

Transitional Arrangements for Single Room Rents with effect from 2nd July 2001

3. —(1) In article 3(1) for the words “article 6” there shall be substituted the words “articles 3A and 6”.

(2) After article 3 there shall be inserted the following article—

“ Transitional arrangements for determination of Single Room Rents with effect from 2nd July 2001

3A. In a case where the rent officer has made and notified an authority of a determination of a single room rent pursuant to paragraph 5 of Schedule 1 in the period of 12 months before 2nd July 2001 that determination shall cease to have effect on the day before 2nd July 2001 and a rent officer shall—

(a) make a new determination of that single room rent in accordance with Part I of Schedule 1;

(b) comply with Part II of Schedule 1; and

(c) give notice in accordance with Part III of Schedule 1 within the relevant period or as soon as is practicable after that period;

without an application for a determination under regulation 12A of the 1987 Regulations having been made. ”

Single Room Rents

4. In paragraph 5 of Part I of Schedule 1—

(a) in sub-paragraph (2)(b)(ii) delete the words “or room suitable for living in”;

(b) after sub-paragraph (2)(b)(ii) insert the following—

“ (iia) shares the use of a room suitable for living in ” ;

(c) in sub-paragraph (2)(b)(iii) after “toilet” insert “and bathroom”.