To ask the Minister for Communities whether any assessment has been made of the impact of extreme heat on people experiencing homelessness.

This issue is an operational matter for Northern Ireland Housing Executive, they have advised me as follows:

“The Housing Executive has not carried out any specific assessment regarding the impact of extreme heat on people experiencing homelessness. The Housing Executive’s existing Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) arrangements consider any occasions on which there is extreme heat. A SWEP would generally only be implemented due to warm weather on occasions where the temperature forecast results in a weather warning.

There has only been one such occasion over recent years and in this event, we engage with partners such as Welcome Organisation to ensure adequate supply of water and support to rough sleepers via their street outreach service.”