§ 12. Ms. PrimaroloTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the latest estimate for the number of homeless people in Bristol; and how many are under 21 years.
§ Mr. RidleyBristol city council's latest return to my Department showed that 343 households were accepted as homeless under the Homeless Persons Act in the period July to September 1987. The ages of homeless people are not reported.
§ Ms. PrimaroloIs the Minister aware that in Bristol not only is there the problem of homeless young people but it is estimated that more than 20,000 people are effectively homeless, 14,000 of them forced to live in accommodation that is legally considered to be unfit for human habitation? The Government's Housing Bill refuses to place on housing action trusts a legal duty to deal with homelessness. Will the Minister therefore agree to discuss again with Bristol city council its allocation of funds under the housing investment programme, with a view to giving more money to Bristol so that it can effectively tackle the problem of homelessness in the city?
§ Mr. RidleyThe hon. Lady is unnecessarily critical of Bristol city council, which has done rather well in this respect. Of the 343 households that are homeless—not the thousands that she mentioned—only 76 were in bed and breakfast on 30 September last year. Their average stay was only 27 days. That is a good record, on which I congratulate the council.
As the hon. Lady seemed to want a housing action trust to be placed in Bristol, I shall certainly look into that possibility.