§ 2. Mr. Simsasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what conclusions she has reached on the payment of supplementary benefit to hostel wardens on behalf of young people in their care.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security (Mr. Micheal Meacher)The question of payment of benefit to young people in hostels, including the use of vouchers for accommodation, is being looked at by the interdepartmental working group on the needs of homeless young people.
§ Mr. SimsI am grateful for the hon. Gentleman's assurance that this matter is being looked into. Will he confirm that under Section 17 of the Ministry of Social Security Act 1966, it is possible for payment for board and lodging to be made direct to a third party, such as a hostel warden? This is exactly what was happening in the notorious Gleaves case, and will the hon. Gentleman take some rapid action on this matter?
§ Mr. MeacherI can confirm that under the Act, payment may be made to a third party—for example, the warden of a hostel. He is given a board and lodging voucher. But the point is that the voucher is awarded to an individual claimant only after an interview by the supplementary benefits officer, and it is in operation for only one week. It therefore does not constitute a block system for a hostel or organisation on the presentation of a list.
§ Mr. CanavanBearing in mind the recent conviction of Roger Gleaves and the fact that one of my constituents, Billy McPhee from Bannockburn, was brutally murdered by a gang of unscrupulous people who were operating a vicious hostel racket in London whereby they exploited young people, sexually assaulted them and deprived them of their social security benefits, will the Minister take every step to ensure that such crimes do not recur? He could do this by having regular inspections of such hostels and by closer scrutiny of the credentials of the people who run them.
§ Mr. MeacherI certainly deplore the appalling murder of one of my hon. Friend's constituents by members of the Gleaves organisation. In setting up the working group it was our intention to examine the needs of homeless young persons in the inner city areas to prevent the recurrence of any such terrible crime. I give my hon. Friend the assurance that this matter is being pursued urgently. The group has on it not only civil servants but members of the local authority associations and three representatives of leading voluntary organisations concerned with this work. I am very hopeful that they will soon be able to report and provide us with the basis for a policy to prevent any such recurrence.