HL Deb 31 July 1998 vol 592 cc258-9WA
Earl Russell

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Social Exclusion Unit, in the course of investigating rough sleeping, discussed what proportion of rough sleepers first became homeless when 16 or 17 years and are not entitled to benefits. [HL2895]

Lord Whitty

The Government have no information on the correlation between rough sleepers aged 16 or 17 and non-entitlement to state benefits. Paragraph 1.6 of the Social Exclusion Unit Report on Rough Sleeping reports figures from Homeless Network suggesting that there are now very few rough sleepers under 18.

Earl Russell

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to paragraph 4.23 of the Social Exclusion Unit's Report on Rough Sleeping, whether, before considering action to introduce new powers to compel places in hostels to be taken up, they will consider the problem of appropriate penalties, in particular the difficulty of fining the homeless and the effect on the prison budget of imprisoning them. [HL2897]

Lord Whitty

Paragraph 4.23 of the Social Exclusion Unit's Report on Rough Sleeping makes it clear that the Government have no present plans to change the powers in respect of rough sleepers, but believe the public will feel they have a right to expect hostel places to be taken up as more become available. It will be one of the tasks of the new London body to monitor this closely and if new powers were needed the Government would take all the relevant circumstances into account in considering the matter.