§ Mr. AltonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the number of occasions in the last year for which records are available when grants from his Department to hostels for the homeless run by charitable organisations have been paid late; and in how many cases over the same period interest and charges on bank overdrafts incurred by the charity as a result of late payment has been refunded.
§ Mr. YeoMost revenue funding of hostels for the homeless is made by the Housing Corporation, using hostel deficit grant (HDG) or special needs management allowance (SNMA).
Under the rough sleepers initiative, my Department is meeting some revenue costs of hostels and emergency shelters under section 73 of the Housing Act 1985: These payments are made as soon as my officials are satisfied with the financial and other information required from the voluntary organisation concerned. No payments of interest or charges on overdrafts have been made or requested.