International Year of Shelter for the Homeless (Hansard, 25 July 1985)

§ Baroness Ewart-Biggs
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, the Government endorsed the United Nations General Assembly resolution No. 37/221 of December 1982 which proclaimed 1987 as the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. We support the objectives of the resolution, and the emphasis placed in it on work in poor countries.

§ Baroness Ewart-Biggs
My Lords, I should like to thank the Minister for that Answer, although I had rather hoped that she would answer differently. Will the Minister explain why the Government have a different approach to this International Year of Shelter for the Homeless than they have had to previous international years, for the child, for the disabled, and for youth, where they accepted that there should be a focus on the activity both at home and abroad? Can the Minister justify this apparent inconsistency? Secondly, in order to show the commitment that the Government have to the numerous homeless in this country, will the Minister give an undertaking to put into this International Year of Shelter for the Homeless as much from Government funds as that put in by voluntary and private funders?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, I think one has to understand what is the purpose of the United Nations International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. I understand that the intention was that the year should he a focus for activity in the developing countries. To that end we have been asked by the United Nations to nominate as a special contribution to the year projects that are now being implemented and will be operational in 1987. We shall do so and plan to nominate two such projects funded from the aid programme. There is therefore no inconsistency, I believe, in our policy.

Lord Oram
My Lords, are there not some serious social and economic problems that were once seen as being almost exclusively the concern of third world countries but which are now developing into problems for the developed world as well? Is not the problem of homelessness a very good example of this common concern between the developed world and the developing world—what the Brandt Commission called our common crisis? If that is so, when the Government are making plans for 1987, with the overseas development administration, understandably, taking the lead on behalf of the Government, is it not important that it should have the support of other Ministries, particularly, I would have thought, the Department of the Environment, so that the problems of homelessness in this country get due attention during that year?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, we regard the primary focus of the year as one of assistance to developing countries. Therefore, the Overseas Development Agency has taken the lead in nominating projects in that regard. However, I understand that the Department of the Environment has recently received an approach from the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless Trust about assistance in relation to its United Kingdom activities and that this is being considered.

§ Lord Stallard
My Lords, will the noble Baroness accept that the approach to the Department of the Environment has resulted in a complete negative? Is she aware that the department has simply repeated the reply that she has given today, to the extent that it considers the scope and purpose of the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless as being simply confined to the problems of homelessness in the third 1370 world, and that it does not think it appropriate for the Department of the Environment as such to become involved in the activities of the year?
Will the noble Baroness accept that this is an extremely disappointing view to say the least, and that it will be accepted as such by all the voluntary organisations as well as by all the statutory housing and local authorities throughout the country? Would she not be better off putting some energy into trying to persuade the Government between now and 1987 that there are problems of homelessness in this country, almost comparable with some of the problems in the third world? Does she not agree that she should be trying to convince them to take more notice and to spend more resources in trying to alleviate those problems in our country?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, the Government are aware of the problem of homelessness in this country. Action on homelessness is primarily a responsibility for local authorities. However, we are concerned and accept that the Government have a responsibility for setting the framework. Within the inevitable financial constraints, we are taking a fresh look at the problem and considering possible measures. For example, earlier this month, we issued a circular to local authorities setting out ways in which better management could reduce the number of empty dwellings, announcing a relaxation in the rules of eligibility for housing association grant to facilitate the use of local authority short-life property.

Lord Paget of Northampton
My Lords, since we are turning to the third world, can the noble Baroness say whether in the whole continent of Africa, with the single and honourable exception of the Union of South Africa, there is a single government that assumes any responsibility of any sort for assisting the homeless?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, that question is a very wide one, considerably wider than the specific Question on the Order Paper. But it would be wrong to assume that the governments of many countries in Africa are not facing up to their social responsibilities.

§ Lord Kilmarnock
My Lords, surely, as several noble Lords have suggested, homelessness begins at home? Can the noble Baroness say what is the current position over the DHSS resettlement units for the homeless which the Government are planning to close, and what progress, if any, has been made with voluntary bodies on filling the gap?

§ Baroness Young
My Lords, no, not without notice.