Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Support for Care Leavers: Housing

Monday 23 January 2023 · 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 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Luke Pollard thanked the Minister for her answer and discussed the importance of providing young people leaving local authority care with their own homes.
  • The Minister mentioned a visit to Plymouth in June 2022 to see youth hub work and partnership efforts, expressing appreciation for Pollard's work with Barnardo's.
  • James Gray raised concerns about high house prices and private rented sector issues in Wiltshire, impacting care leavers' chances of staying in their communities.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Luke Pollard Labour (Co-op) Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Children & Families
Context

The MP noted concerns about young people leaving local authority care not having a stable living situation. He highlighted the privilege of working with Barnardo's to make the case that every young person should have a home, ideally rented immediately upon leaving care.

Question

I thank the Minister for that answer. It is a privilege to be working with Barnardo's and care leavers in Plymouth in making the case that every young person leaving local authority care should have a home of their own, ideally one to be rented straightaway so that they do not fall back into emergency care.

Answer from Mims Davies

I visited Plymouth to see the exemplary youth hub and partnership work—which includes some great tourism tips—in June 2022. I thank the hon. Gentleman for his work alongside Barnardo's; the Secretary of State and I look forward to meeting and discussing more next week. I believe that some local authorities, such as Kent County Council, have a successful rent guarantor scheme and I encourage others in doing this. I will look at this matter carefully.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Setting up a specific guarantor scheme and providing help with the first rental deposit

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Q2 Luke Pollard Labour (Co-op) Plymouth Sutton and Devonport
Housing Children & Families
Context

The MP highlighted concerns about young people leaving local authority care not having a stable living situation. He noted that many of these young people have had awful experiences.

Question

Many of these young people have been through awful experiences. Will the Minister set out what additional steps by her Department could help set up a guarantor scheme and provide help with the first rental deposit so that these young people do not miss out on a home when they leave local authority care?

Answer from Mims Davies

I visited Plymouth to see the exemplary youth hub and partnership work—which includes some great tourism tips—in June 2022. I thank the hon. Gentleman for his work alongside Barnardo's; the Secretary of State and I look forward to meeting and discussing more next week. I believe that some local authorities, such as Kent County Council, have a successful rent guarantor scheme and I encourage others in doing this. I will look at this matter carefully.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Setting up a specific guarantor scheme and providing help with the first rental deposit

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Q3 James Gray Con
Housing Children & Families
Context

The MP highlighted concerns about high house prices and a squeeze on the private rented sector in Wiltshire, making it difficult for care leavers to stay in their home area.

Question

In my constituency, the problem is that the house prices are incredibly high and that that is coupled with a squeeze on the private rented sector, thanks to recent tax changes on private landlords. This means that care leavers in a place such as Wiltshire have little chance of staying where they come from and were born.

Answer from Mims Davies

I thank my hon. Friend for raises these issues, which we have around the country. Let me assure the House that the Department for Education is looking at how it can encourage more local authorities to develop similar offers to care leavers, which was part of an independent review of children's social care.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Finding specific ways to encourage these people to stay in their home area and helping them with it

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