§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will publish the responses he has received to the consultation paper on the future of the rough sleepers initiative.
§ Sir George YoungRecipients of this discussion paper were not advised that responses would be published and I have no plans to do so. We are considering carefully some 90 responses we have received, and I hope to announce a strategy for the rough sleepers initiative 1993–96 shortly.
§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many people were resident in the severe weather shelters at the point of closure; and how many have(a) returned to sleeping on the street as a result of the closures and (b) been offered accommodation on 31 March.
§ Sir George YoungUnder the Government's £96 million rough sleepers initiative we have provided funding of £1.5 million for this year's winter shelter programme, which at its height provided 400 extra bedspaces in nine winter shelters in central London. The purpose of the winter shelter programme was specifically to provide shelter for people in central London who would otherwise sleep rough over the winter months. The shelters closed, as planned, at the end of March.
At 31 march some 145 of the 400 places were still in use: Around 100 people had other accommodation to move on to and at least 10 people had refused offers of further assistance.
My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing and Planning undertook to make these figures available in the Official Report during the debate on affordable housing on 1 April.