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Lord Richard Best has been appointed to chair a new commission examining the housing needs of Northern Ireland.

Best, whose current posts include president of the Local Government Association and chair of the Hanover Housing Group, will head up the Commission on the Future for Housing in Northern Ireland.

The group, which was launched yesterday by the Chartered Institute of Housing, is charged with finding solutions to housing problems in the region in the next ten years. It will run for 12 months.

Best said: "I am delighted to accept the invitation to chair the Commission on the Future for Housing in Northern Ireland. I have been struck by the progress made in housing policy and practice in recent years, particularly since the restoration of devolution, and by the level of partnership working across the housing sector.

"These provide excellent conditions for the work of the Commission, and I sincerely hope that the recommendations arising from the Commission will be of benefit to the Northern Ireland Executive and to relevant ministers, as they take forward their important work to shape the future of Northern Ireland".

Others on the panel include Greg Lloyd, head of the School of the Built Environment at the University of Ulster.