HC Deb 05 August 1975 vol 897 cc208-10
3. Mr. Greville Janner

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what has been the total cost during the latest year for which records are available of caring for destitute young people aged between 16 and 18 years.

The Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security (Mr. Michael Meacher)

This information is not available in the terms requested, but during 1974 the total amount of supplementary allowances paid to young people aged between 16 and 18, including those living as part of a family, is estimated to be £11½ million.

Mr. Janner

Is my hon. Friend aware that although the problem of destitute and homeless young people is acute and terrible in London and was well highlighted in the television programme "Johnny Go Home", the problem also exists in many other parts of the country, particularly in the great cities en route from Scotland to London, including Leicester? Will he give an idea whether there will be any increase in Government help to public and voluntary bodies which are trying to cope with this desperate human problem?

Mr. Meacher

Yes, Sir. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment is now seeking to encourage local authorities and housing associations to provide more single-person accommodation, although there are constraints in terms of resources in regard to competition with more accommodation for homeless families. Furthermore, the Housing Act 1974 makes local authorities and housing associations eligible for the first time for grants and subsidies available for other types of accommodation if they provide single-person accommodation. We hope that they will take full advantage of that facility.

Mrs. Chalker

What steps does the Minister intend to take to make hostel accommodation available in city centres rather than the long-term, purpose-built, single-person housing to which he has referred? Does he not agree that this is what is needed?

Mr. Meacher

I was not referring only to purpose-built long-term accommodation, because short-term accommodation with a high rate of turnover could also be involved. If the hon. Lady is thinking of the inner cities, and particularly of London, which has the major problem, the Greater London Council and the London Boroughs Association have had a working party sitting for some time seeking to provide means of giving a higher priority of provision to single-person accommodation. I am hopeful that they will have some answer soon.

Mr. Lipton

Will my hon. Friend see to it that there is more effective coordination involving the Home Office, the police, his own Department, local authorities and people purporting to provide accommodation for homeless young people, of which we have had some horrifying examples lately? Does he not agree that we should take a serious view of the situation?

Mr. Meacher

I agree that there needs to be closer co-ordination, and the Home Office is already undertaking any internal inquiry about why information concerning the Gleaves hostel empire was not distributed among Government Departments. We are always mindful of closer co-operation, particularly with local authorities which have to provide accommodation. This is why we have written to the chief executives of Camden and Westminster to try to encourage them to provide better answers to the question of identifying homeless young persons at risk and to refer them to suitable accommodation.

Mr. Norman Fowler

Will the Minister confirm that public money was made available to Gleaves in respect of hostels run by that concern? Will he also say what checks took place before the money was paid out?

Mr. Meacher

It is not true that money was paid direct to Gleaves. Gleaves did not receive block payments from the Supplementary Benefits Commission on the presentation of a list. Under Section 17 of the Supplementary Benefits Act the commission can award payments to a third party, for example to a hostel warden in respect of board and lodging vouchers, but each voucher is issued to one individual only for one week at a time and only after that individual has been interviewed by a Supplementary Benefits Commission officer. There is no truth in the statement that block payments have been made to Gleaves.