Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Rough Sleeping

Monday 24 February 2020 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Bob Blackman commended the Minister for action on rough sleeping and highlighted the importance of preventing homelessness before it occurs.
  • The Minister thanked Bob Blackman for his work on the Homelessness Reduction Act and noted that over 130,000 households have been helped since its implementation.
  • Caroline Ansell mentioned Eastbourne's use of 1.5 million from the Government to address rough sleeping locally, praising the efforts of volunteers and businesses.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Bob Blackman Con Harrow East
Housing
Context

The Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 is due for review, and local authorities require funding certainty.

Question

I commend my right hon. Friend for the action he is taking, but clearly the best way to reduce rough sleeping is to prevent it happening in the first place. The review of my Homelessness Reduction Act 2017 is due at the end of this financial year and local authorities need to know how much funding they will have in successive years to deliver that Act. When he reviews the Act, will he ensure that local authorities, in combating homelessness, abide not only by the letter but the spirit of the law?

Answer from Robert Jenrick (Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I would like to take this opportunity to thank and pay tribute to my hon. Friend for his invaluable work on the Homelessness Reduction Act. Since the Act was implemented, over 130,000 households have had their homelessness successfully prevented or relieved. We will be reviewing the implementation of the Act, including resourcing and how it is working in practice. Local authorities will now receive an additional £63 million in the next financial year through the homelessness reduction grant to carry out these duties. In the comprehensive spending review, which will set the multi-year spending review for local government, we will certainly take it very seriously.

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Q2 Caroline Ansell Con Eastbourne
Housing Community Security
Context

The winter night shelter in Eastbourne will close soon.

Question

In Eastbourne, we will make very good use of our share of the £1.5 million from the Government to address this issue locally. Our winter night shelter, which is orchestrated by local churches and powered by volunteers and the generous support of local businesses such as Iron Maidens, will close its doors in a matter of days. Will my right hon. Friend meet me and other partners to look at what it would mean to seek to establish a shelter all year round?

Answer from Robert Jenrick (Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government)

May I take this opportunity, like my hon. Friend, to pay tribute to all those involved in rough sleeping initiatives across the country? I visited many over the course of my six or seven months in this job and I have never failed to be incredibly impressed by their commitment and passion. I am sure that that is the case with the one in her constituency and I will, of course, happily meet her.

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Q3 Robert Jenrick Reform Broadstairs
Housing Benefits & Welfare
Context

The hon. Member discusses the multifaceted issue of housing affordability.

Question

The hon. Gentleman is right that this is a multifaceted issue. We have ended the freeze on the local housing allowance, so that will rise in the next financial year with the consumer prices index.

Answer from The Prime Minister (Rishi Sunak)

We have ended the freeze on the local housing allowance, so that will rise in the next financial year with the consumer prices index. That will help to make it more affordable for individuals on the lowest incomes to get into homes in the private rented sector, but we will bring together all parts of Government with renewed vigour—whether that is the Department for Work and Pensions, the Home Office or the Department of Health and Social Care—to ensure that we tackle this issue as never before.

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