HC Deb 19 December 1989 vol 164 cc134-5W
Mr. Michael

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many(a) families and (b) individuals he estimates will spend the 1989 Christmas holiday period in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in England and Wales other than as tourists.

Mr. Chope

[holding answer 18 December 1989]The latest estimate of households accepted as homeless under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act and living in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in England is 11,880 at end September 1989. No estimate is available either of the number of individuals this represents or the number in bed-and-breakfast accommodation at later dates.

For Welsh figures I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

Mr. Michael

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many(a) families and (b) people he estimates spent the Christmas holiday in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in England and Wales in each of the years 1983 to 1988, inclusive, other than as tourists.

Mr. Chope

[holding answer 18 December 1989]: Estimates for England of the number of households accepted as homeless under the homelessness provisions of the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977 and the 1985 Housing Act and living in bed-and-breakfast accommodation at 31 December in each of the years 1983 to 1988 inclusive are as follows:

Year Number of households
1983 2,700
1984 3,670
1985 5,360
1986 8,990
1987 10,370
1988 10,970

No estimates are made of the number of people this represented.

For Welsh figures I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

Mr. Michael

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many children he estimates spent the Christmas holiday period in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in England and Wales other than as tourists during each of the years 1983 to 1988.

Mr. Chope

[holding answer 18 December 1989]: The number of children among the homeless households in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in England are not reported by local authorities and my Department has no estimates.

For information about Wales I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.