HC Deb 27 January 1993 vol 217 cc766-7W
Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many families are in temporary accommodation in Nottingham as a result of mortgage repossessions; and what proportion this constitutes of the overall figure for homelessness in Nottingham.

Mr. Baldry

During the year ending September 1992, 5 per cent. of homeless families accepted in priority need at Nottingham had been the subject of mortgage repossession. The number of such families currently in temporary accommodation is not available.

Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what plans he has to reduce homelessness among single people without children who are below the age of retirement and other groups of people not accepted as statutorily homeless by local authorities.

Mr. Baldry

Under the Government's rough sleepers initiative in central London we have made £96 million available over three years to provide 950 new places in hostels for people sleeping rough, and 2,900 places in more permanent accommodation for people in hostels to move on to.

My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in his autumn statement that further resources of £86 million would be made available over the next three years to build on the success of the rough sleepers initiative in assisting people who sleep rough in central London. On 18 January my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning issued a discussion paper on the future of the initiative to groups in the voluntary sector and other interested parties. An announcement about the future of the initiative will be made in the light of responses to that paper.

Nationally, the Department makes grants under section 73 of the Housing Act 1985 to support the national homelessness advice service and some 150 projects run by voluntary organisations throughout England that provide direct, practical help to homeless people. Resources in 1993–94 will be increased to £6.5 million, from £6.1 million this year.

Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what was the average cost for keeping families in(a) permanent council accommodation and (b) temporary accommodation in Nottingham in each of the last three years.

Mr. Baldry

I regret that this information is not available to the Department.

Mr. Simpson

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has on which local authorities in Great Britain have voluntary appeals procedures for people to appeal against a council's decision to turn them away as not meeting statutory homeless criteria; and if he will issue model criteria for assessing those appeals.

Mr. Baldry

The Department does not hold the information requested. Our code of guidance to local authorities about operating the homelessness legislation recommends that authorities should have appeals procedures in place; that any review of a decision should be carried out by a senior officer who should ensure that the case has been properly processed; and that authorities should consider establishing appeals panels at member level with a chairman who is independent of the decision process. Decisions by local authorities about homelessness applications are open to challenge in the courts.