HC Deb 16 July 1985 vol 83 cc162-3
10. Mr. Nicholas Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services when he last visited a bed-and-breakfast establishment used for homeless families.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health and Social Security (Mr. Ray Whitney)

In recent months I have visited a number of board and lodging establishments catering for single people and for families.

Mr. Brown

Will the Minister come and visit the people who are living in tents opposite the metro station by the Newcastle Haymarket, and will he explain to them the Government's response to the report of the British Association of Social Workers "Housing in social work", which sets out the fact that it costs the Government twice as much to provide bed-and-breakfast accommodation as it would cost the state to provide decent council housing?

Mr. Whitney

I shall happily look at any particular problems in Newcastle that the hon. Gentleman wishes to bring to my attention, but I hope he will understand that the measures we have taken are a sensible use of the social security budget.

Mr. Fallon

Is my hon. Friend aware that on Tyneside alone there are 5,500 empty council houses, a quarter of which have been empty for more than a year? Will he consider telling these hypocritical Labour councils to allow homeless couples homesteading rights on any council houses that are empty?

Mr. Whitney

I take note of the important point that my hon. Friend makes, but, of course, he is taking me into realms beyond my responsibilities.

Mr. Conlan

When will the Minister stop the rip-off imposed on public funds by the owners of these so-called bed-and-breakfast establishments?

Mr. Whitney

I welcome the hon. Gentleman's support for the measures introduced by my right hon. Friend some months ago.

Mr. Holt

While my hon. Friend is looking at Newcastle, will he also look at the fact that that city has banned the use of Noddy and Babar the Elephant books because of the racist overtones?

Mr. Speaker

I do not know whether that has anything to do with bed and breakfast.

Hon. Members

Answer.

Mr. Speaker

Order. I, too, was confused. It may have something to do with bed, but nothing to do with breakfast.

Mr. Meacher

On a more relevant point, is the Minister aware that in a study undertaken by the citizens advice bureaux into board and lodging restrictions affecting young unemployed persons in Stoke it was found that in two thirds of cases return to the parental household was impossible because of divorce, sexual abuse or parental refusal, and that in another one fifth of cases the DHSS was apparently quite unaware of grounds for exemption? Does that not show how utterly unjust these regulations are? When will the Government accept that the real answer to this problem is not to force young people into wandering round the country like nomads, but to restart the housebuilding programme and to provide adequate rented accommodation in the public sector?

Mr. Whitney

As the hon. Gentleman knows, our original proposals established very important exemption categories, and local DHSS officers are under clear instructions to make those exemption categories widely known. The studies that we have had so far, and the feedback from local social security offices, suggests that the regulations now in place are effective and helpful.