§ Mr. Fosterasked the Secretary of State for the Environment how many emergency hostels for the homeless there are in each English region; how many closed during 1983; and how many new ones were opened.
§ Sir George YoungThe information requested on emergency hostels in each region is not available to the Department. However, the single homeless and other groups with special needs are benefiting from the Government's hostels initiative whereby in 1983 the Housing Corporation approved the provision of hostels and other shared housing in each of its regions as follows:
Region Schemes Bedspaces London 131 1,302 West 45 478 East Midlands 21 177 West Midlands 28 309 North East 35 375 North West 27 304 Merseyside 7 72 In addition, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Services provides 21 resettlement units in England for people without a settled way of life. None was closed or opened in 1983 and the numbers in each region are as follows:
Region Resettlement Units Bedspaces London 8 930 South Eastern 4 274 South West 1 112 East Midlands 2 204 West Midlands 1 123 Yorks and Humberside 2 192 North Eastern 1 112 North West 2 145