HOMELESS YOUNG PEOPLE (Hansard, 14 December 1976)

§ Baroness MACLEOD of BORVE
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, there is nothing I can add to the reply which I gave on 11th October to a similar Question which was raised in your Lordships' House, other than to say that the Government are hoping to have discussions in regard to the Working Group's recommendations with the local authority associations, with a view to seeing what can be done for homeless people. As I have said previously, however, there is little prospect of early implementation of those proposals, which would require additional public expenditure.

§ Baroness MACLEOD of BORVE
My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that Answer, may I bring to his attention the fact that there are now more single homeless in this city and in other cities than ever before? Am I to understand from his reply that the Government are not taking the extreme plight of these people very seriously indeed?

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, the answer to the noble Baroness is, No. The Government are aware of the problems of accommodation for single persons, especially as the number of single people is expected to rise. Local authorities have been advised to supply more small units of accommodation and the Housing Corporation intends to increase the proportion of its budget devoted to single person accommodation by a quite considerable amount. The Housing Act 1974 773 extended housing association grants to cover hostels, and hostels can now also benefit from the hostel deficit grant to cover their running costs. Local authorities are also able to use the housing subsidy to provide and improve hostels. The take-up of some of these grants has been rather low and we are currently considering why this has been the case and what can be done to improve the situation.

§ Lord SOPER
My Lords, if it is true that this is an acute problem, which surely it is, may I ask whether the Government are aware that there is a large stock of unoccupied ecclesiastical premises which might, at very reasonable cost, be turned into at least temporary hostels to look after people who can get hungry and cold in one night? Delay is a very serious matter, as I am sure the Government realise. Is there any plan whereby much unoccupied territory in ecclesiastical premises—I regret to say, of a nonconformist variety—might be used as temporary accommodation at this time, particularly as an immediate measure which would not cause great financial cost to the Government or to any local authority?

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, the Government are aware of the existence of unoccupied accommodation, and this exercises their mind very much indeed. This is one of the things that the Government will be discussing with the local authortiy associations when those talks take place following the recommendations of the Working Group.

§ Lord AVEBURY
My Lords, could not the Government as a matter of urgency discuss with the local authorities the possibility of making available accommodation in multi-storey blocks which is very frequently refused by married couples with children, for very good reason, and which is thereby allowed to stand empty? Would it not be much better if this accommodation were offered to single people as a means of increasing the revenue of local authorities and making available accommodation for the homeless?

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, as I tried to point out, the situation which the noble Lord and my noble friend have 774 raised is a matter which is exercising the mind of the Government. It is one of the matters which the Government want to discuss with the local authority associations.

Lord JANNER
My Lords, is my noble friend aware that there is considerable concern about the present position throughout the country and that it is a matter of urgency? Is it not possible for something to be done so that we do not have the delays which, from what my noble friend has said, appear to be contemplated?

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, there are a number of extremely urgent matters which face the Government at the present time. This report contains 28 recommendations which fall into 11 quite separate groups. They involve local authorities, the Central Government and voluntary organisations. Five Government Departments will have a responsibility if these recommendations are to be implemented. Those five Departments are at present meeting with a view to drawing up an agenda of matters which can possibly be discussed with the local authority associations. If I may say so with great respect, the report has not been out for all that length of time and we are really moving fairly briskly.

§ Baroness FAITHFULL
My Lords, the Minister mentioned voluntary organisations. May I ask whether they, as a body, have been approached? I know that a number of them are deeply concerned and would be prepared to give a voluntary service that would mean that the cost would not fall upon the Government.

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, I believe that the noble Baroness raised a similar question on 11th October. The answer is that we are aware that there is a tremendous role for the voluntary organisations. We know that the whole field of the social services in this country would be in a sorry state without the contribution that they are making at the present time. However, if we were to ask them to undertake certain tasks, we should be told in no uncertain manner that that would cost them money. Therefore, the whole question of the cost in 775 relation to Central Government, local authorities and voluntary organisations must be considered. These matters are being considered and we are not unmindful of the contribution that the voluntary organisations can make.

§ Baroness MACLEOD of BORVE
My Lords, will the noble Lord assure the House that all these various committees will bring up something that will enable some of the young as well as the older people who are without shelter and food in our cities to be housed and sheltered during what appears likely to be a very hard winter?

§ Lord WELLS-PESTELL
My Lords, that is the whole purpose of the exercise.