§ 23. Mr. Ian TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the recent initiatives taken by his Department to help relieve the plight of the homeless.
§ Sir George YoungWe are taking urgent action on a number of fronts to relieve and reduce homelessness. To tackle the most acute problem of those sleeping on the streets of central London, we are making available £96 million over three years for direct-access hostel places and longer-term accommodation for those already in hostels. As I announced on 18 December, to carry forward development under this programme we are fortunate to have the assistance over the next six months of Nick Hardwick, director of Centrepoint.
We are also anxious to help local authorities in the areas where homelessness pressures are greatest. Therefore, £300 million is being provided over this year and next to local authorities in London and the south-east to reduce the need to use bed-and-breakfast hotels for homeless families. To help those at risk before they actually become homeless, we are establishing a national homelessness advice service through Citizens Advice Bureaux, with specialist support from Shelter and SHAC. We are also expanding support to individual voluntary sector projects to assist single homeless people to find temporary and permanent accommodation. Total support for the voluntary sector under these last two initiatives will increase from £2 million this year to £4.5 million next.