§ Mr. Boyesasked the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he will publish estimates prepared by his Department comparing the public expenditure implications of maintaining homeless households in receipt of supplementary benefit in commercial board and lodging accommodation, with providing such households with local authority rented accommodation by building new dwellings for them; and if he will publish separate estimates assuming the household concerned is (a) a single person, (b) a couple without children, (c) a single parent with one dependent child and (d) a couple with two dependent children accepted as homeless and in priority need of accommodation by (i) a London borough and (ii) a non-metropolitan local authority.;
(2) pursuant to his statement on 20 December 1985, Official Report, column 709, if he intends to announce further measures to help relieve homelessness;
(3) what was the number of homeless households placed by (i) local authorities in Greater London and (ii) local authorities in the non-metropolitan areas in bed and breakfast accommodation (a) at the end of 1984 and (b) at end of 1985;
(4) what is his Department's explanation of the increase in the number of homeless households placed by (i) local authorities in Greater London and (ii) local authorities in the non-metropolitan areas in bed and breakfast accommodation at the end of 1985 over that at the end of 1984;
(5) what is his Department's explanation of the higher percentage increase in the number of homeless households placed by (i) local authorities in the non-metropolitan areas, compared with (ii) local authorities in Greater London in bed and breakfast accommodation at the end of 1985 over the number of households placed in bed and breakfast accommodation at the end of 1984.
§ Sir George YoungI shall answer this question shortly.