Homelessness (Hansard, 20 April 1988)

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, the proposals in the Housing Bill are aimed at increasing the amount of rented accommodation available. We are continuing to encourage local authorities and others to make better use of the existing housing stock, especially for priority categories of the homeless. To assist the provision of appropriate accommodation the Minister for housing and planning announced on 24th March additional resources and measures directed at authorities with the most acute homelessness pressures.

§ Lord Gainford
My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. However, can he say how satisfied Her Majesty's Government are with the implementation of the right-to-buy scheme?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, since 1979 more than 1.1 million tenants have taken advantage of the opportunity to experience the challenge of freedom and the independence of home ownership. Three- 1506 quarters of those people have bought under the right-to-buy scheme. Right-to-buy sales are still running at over 100,000 units per annum.

§ Lord Mellish
My Lords. I am sure that the Minister will he aware that the burden of homelessness is carried by just a few local authorities. Is he aware that the problem is much too big for them? I again plead with the Minister and the Government to look at the possibility of taking over on a regional basis to see whether anything can be done. Some boroughs do not even know anything about homelessness.

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, I shall certainly draw the remarks of the noble Lord. Lord Mellish, to the attention of my right honourable friend the Secretary of State.

§ Lord Mellish
My Lords, that will not do any good.

§ Lord Dean of Beswick
My Lords, is the Minister aware that my noble friend Lord Mellish makes a most important point regarding the problem? This problem is severe in certain areas. Is the Minister further aware that in those areas the latest figures show that the situation continues to deteriorate despite the increased funds—welcome funds—that the Minister announced the Secretary of State had made available a short time ago? Is the Minister also aware—

Noble Lords
Order.

§ Lord Dean of Beswick
My Lords, is the Minister also aware that the Housing Bill he referred to is not greeted with any acclamation whatever by people who are dealing with the problem, because they think it is completely inconsequential on the subject of homelessness?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, I am well aware, as are we all, that homelessness is centred in the inner cities. However, it is not a matter for the Government alone. The clear fact is—I give this example—that from 1st April 1987 both Camden and Hammersmith had £60 million of accumulated capital receipts which they would he entirely within their rights to spend on the 150 to 250 council dwellings which they have respectively and which were awaiting major repairs at that time. At the same time, they also had some 600 families in bed and breakfast accommodation. They have at their own executive level the ability to remove a large section of the problem which confronts them.

§ Lord Graham of Edmonton
My Lords, is the Minister correct in saying that those massive sums of money from the capital receipts to which he has just referred could be spent? Is he saying that that figure equates to 20 per cent. of the total of their capital receipts that they are entitled to spend? How often does the Minister and his colleagues try to relate to the boroughs which have the problem of homelessness and to encourage them to build new housing? Surely the answer for homeless people is not to urge them to buy their own house but to ensure that there is an adequate stock of rented accommodation at prices they can afford?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, the Government are well aware not only of the need but of the desire for rented property. The reason that the Housing Bill will come before this House shortly is to ensure the increase and availability of rented accommodation.

§ Lord Tordoff
My Lords, will the noble Lord answer the first point made by the noble Lord, Lord Graham? That is, do the figures he mentioned represent 20 per cent. of the boroughs' total available capital?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, as regards capitalised repairs, local authorities do not have to abide by the 20 per cent. regulation for phasing.

§ Lord Swinfen
My Lords, my noble friend the Minister will be aware that the housing corporation grants are concentrated on stress areas, whereas physically disabled people live throughout the country. Can he ensure that the Government spread their money more widely so that more money is available for housing for those physically disabled people who live in non-stress areas?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords. I shall certainly bring my noble friend's remarks to the attention of my right honourable friend.

§ Lord Campbell of Alloway
My Lords, is my noble friend the Minister aware that the Question tabled by my noble friend Lord Gainford asking what are the latest measures being introduced has not yet been answered? When the noble Lord, Lord Mellish, raised what he may think is a valid point, the answer given was that his observations would be referred to the Minister's right honourable friend. I revert to the Question. What are the latest measures to be introduced by the Government to tackle the problem of homelessness, especially with regard to those people sleeping in cardboard boxes in the metropolis?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, there is no one, simple answer to the problem of homelessness. The Government have initiated a number of programmes, which range from the large—such as the Housing Bill due to come before this House—to the latest increased special sums of money that have been allocated to stress areas which the noble Lord, Lord Dean of Beswick, very kindly pointed out.
As I have already said, there is no single, simple solution to the problem. However, we are all well aware of it and are constantly and regularly taking initiatives. I draw my noble friend's attention to one of the most recent, which was in the Budget itself, when the Chancellor of the Exchequer introduced an extension of the Business Expansion Scheme to encourage the development of residential property to be let and further to increase the availability of rented accommodation.

§ Lord Stoddart of Swindon
My Lords, does the Minister agree that one of the reasons for homelessness, especially in London and other parts of the South-East, is that people are travelling from the regions—Scotland, Wales and the north of England—to London and the South-East to obtain 1508 employment? Therefore, would not one solution be to move the available jobs to those areas where there is plenty of housing for those people?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, I think that the noble Lord's question is probably beyond my competence to answer.

§ Lord Stoddart of Swindon
My Lords, perhaps the noble Lord, Lord Young, would like to answer that.

§ The Countess of Mar
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware of the fact that the Victorians recognised that the link between poor health and poor housing was a clear one? Can he say what Her Majesty's Government are doing to help the homeless in regard to health care by providing general practitioners and premises for sick people to attend?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, I shall have to write to the noble Countess on that specific point.

§ Lord Williams of Elvel
My Lords, will the Minister comment on the recent visit of Mother Teresa to London? Further, will the Government be supporting Mother Teresa's initiative in setting up a home for the homeless?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, the Government are sympathetic to Mother Teresa's work and concerns. We are concerned with the level of homelessness, and to this end we have recently announced an additional allocation of £28 million to be targeted on those authorities with particular homeless pressures. The Department of Health and Social Security also has responsibility for providing temporary board and lodging for people with an unsettled way of life.

§ Lord Underhill
My Lords, will the Minister confirm what I believe a number of noble Lords believe he said—namely, that if any local authority with housing powers wishes to build new houses, it may build from its accumulated assets?

§ Lord Hesketh
My Lords, if a local authority wishes to commence new builds it may use 20 per cent. of those accumulated receipts.