HC Deb 25 March 1988 vol 130 cc253-4W
Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what specific legislative powers currently exist for the provision of grant aid to voluntary organisations providing emergency accommodation for the single homeless in Scotland.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

Section 39 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 makes provision for the Secretary of State and for local authorities to give assistance to voluntary organisations concerned with homelessness. Assistance is also available under the Local Government Grants (Social Need) Act 1969.

Region Admissions into local authority care in year ending 31 March by reason of family homelessness Children in local authority care at 31 March by reason of family homelessness
1984 1985 1986 1984 1985 1986
Borders 1 8 1 7 6 3
Central 1 0 1 4 5 4
Dumfries and Galloway 0 0 2 3 3 5
Fife 1 0 0 9 8 8
Grampian 6 11 1 18 15 11
Highland 0 5 2 6 1 1
Lothian 2 1 0 9 4 4
Tayside 2 1 0 15 14 10
Orkney 0 0 0 0 0 0
Shetland 0 0 0 0 0 0
Western Isles 0 0 0 0 0 0
Scotland (excluding Strathclyde) 13 26 7 71 56 46

Information provided by Strathclyde regional council on admissions to care by reason of homelessness relates only to 1984–85 and 1985–86 when the numbers of children concerned were respectively 15 and 19. No information is available from Strathclyde on children currently in care for this reason.

The very difficult problems which can arise when dealing with homeless people call for the exercise of good housing management and close co-operation between all the agencies involved. The Government are committed to maintaining an effective legislative framework to help the homeless.

Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what grants were made in 1986–87 by Government Departments and local authorities in Scotland to voluntary organisations providing accommodation for(a) the single homeless, (b) battered women and their families, (c) homeless families and (d) ex-offenders.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

Some £400,000 in grant aid was provided by Scottish Office in 1986–87 via local authorities for the provision of hostel accommodation for ex-offenders, and a further £100,000 was given to voluntary organisations involved with the homeless, although not necessarily themselves providing accommodation. I do not have details of grants made by local authorities.