§ Mr. Chris SmithTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give his latest estimate of the numbers of single homeless persons in London.
§ Mrs. RoeI refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Brent, East (Mr. Livingstone) on 22 June.
§ Mr. BlunkettTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how much of the extra £24.1 million to be made available to local authorities to combat homelessness constitutes new expenditure; from which Vote it will be financed; to which authorities, and based upon what criteria, these moneys will be paid; how much each receiving authority will receive; what guidelines will be given to authorities about how they may spend these moneys; and what restrictions will be placed upon its use.
§ Mrs. RoeThe extra money is not voted expenditure. It forms part of the £141.7 million increase in this Department's cash limits arising from a local authority underspend in 1987–88. £21.1 million of the £24.1 million extra is to be targeted on authorities with the most severe homelessness pressures. Decisions on specific allocations have not yet been taken, but they will reflect numbers of homeless acceptances and in bed-and-breakfast accommodation. Whilst it is our intention that these additional resources will be used to alleviate homelessness, it will be for the local authorities to make the final decision on the use of individual allocations.