HL Deb 21 July 1989 vol 510 cc1039-41

11.23 a.m.

Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will consult the Committee of Vice-Chancellors with a view to securing the committee's co-operation in using student accommodation for homeless people during the long summer vacation.

Lord Henley

My Lords, there are substantial problems attached to the noble Lord's suggestion. The main one is that student accommodation in higher education institutions is generally not held vacant during the summer vacation but is used for a variety of purposes.

Lord Cocks of Hartcliffe

My Lords, I am most grateful to the noble Lord for that reply. In order to get the matter into perspective, would he suggest to the university authorities that it would be helpful if, at the end of the long vacation, they produce a return which shows how many units of accommodation were used for other purposes, over what duration and what proportion that represents of the total?

Lord Henley

My Lords, I am sure that the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals will note the noble Lord's suggestion. He will be aware that the committee cannot bind the universities. It is up to the individual institutions to decide what to do. However, I hope that they will note the noble Lord's suggestion. If such information is available I hope they will start to collect it.

Lord Beloff

My Lords, is my noble friend the Minister aware that not merely is this accommodation largely used by postgraduate and overseas students with no home in this country and so on, but universities and other institutions of higher education are compelled to charge an economic rate? They are compelled by the grant-giving bodies to make the best possible use of their accommodation throughout the vacation. That leads to the letting of accommodation for conferences and other needs. So the amount earned is already known and no special return is needed. The grant-giving bodies are already aware of any university that is failing to meet the demands made on it to make the best possible use of its grant.

Lord Henley

My Lords, I can confirm what my noble friend has said. Rightly, universities have to have regard for their primary functions and the need to use their resources to the best advantage in order to support those activities. The commercial lettings of their halls of residence and other units of accommodation also serve a useful purpose. They help to meet the full-year cost of student accommodation thereby reducing the burden on students.

Lord Peston

My Lords, following the question asked by the noble Lord, Lord Beloff, would the noble Lord care to comment on the paradoxical position that, so far as one can see from the figures given the other day, the expenditure being laid out for bed and breakfast accommodation for the homeless appears to be so large that it would be a good idea to draw the attention of the universities to the potential sums available? They are obliged to earn as much money as possible. It appears from the figures that the last thing they should do is to provide accommodation for students. The way to make money is to provide accommodation for the homeless.

Lord Henley

My Lords, quite obviously their first duty is to provide accommodation for students. During the vacation they must look for other sources. I am sure they will take note of the noble Lord's suggestion.

The Earl of Halsbury

My Lords, will the noble Lord bear in mind that thin sandwich-course students do not have long summer vacations?

Lord Henley

My Lords, but quite a number of students do have long summer vacations.

Lord Mellish

My Lords, is the Minister aware that if this suggestion were implemented the difficulty would be that the students would never get back their accommodation? The answer is as straight as that. If the homeless are rehoused in such a manner it will surely show desperation. Is the Minister aware, therefore, that it is a problem primarily concerning London, where, frankly, the only solution is for the Government themselves to intervene with regional set-ups which will look after the homeless and will have powers to acquire from local authorities the empty properties which they have no justification for holding?

Lord Henley

My Lords, it is a matter for the universities to decide whether they can make some use of their surplus accommodation for whatever purposes they consider best. The noble Lord has tried to widen the Question to include the homeless generally. The Question relates to what the universities can do concerning this problem. It will be unwise for me to expand the Question to the whole subject of homelessness.

Baroness Gardner of Parkes

My Lords, is the Minister aware that in other countries, particularly in Scandinavia, university accommodation is available during the summer months for holiday purposes for visiting tourists? Does the Minister know whether any of our universities use their facilities in that way? A provision allowing such accommodation to be available could benefit people on lower incomes who are visiting this country could it not?

Lord Henley

My Lords, I cannot help my noble friend on that matter. I know that universities use their accommodation which is surplus during the vacation for a variety of purposes. I shall have to find out whether it is used for holiday purposes. It is a matter for the individual institutions.

Lord Peston

My Lords, if I may help the noble Lord: perhaps he will be willing to tell his noble friend that the universities in this country do precisely what she says. It is an extremely good value for money operation which one is happy to advertise at this moment in your Lordships' House.

Lord Henley

My Lords, I thank the noble Lord. I received some advice from the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals. It stated that halls of residence and accommodation were used for conferences and that the Open University runs residential summer schools. It did not mention holiday accommodation.

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