§ Mr. PattenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated of health risks incurred by those who sleep rough, with particular reference to Victoria street, London SW1.[36003]
§ Mr. BowisThe Government recognise the health problems associated with rough sleeping and have developed two key initiatives to help homeless people, including those who sleep rough, obtain the health and personal social services that they need.
The homeless mentally ill initiative provides accommodation and psychiatric care for rough sleepers with mental health problems in central London where the problem of rough sleeping is most acute.
376WThe Department has also funded some 35 primary health care projects in England to help homeless people to access services they need. The projects provide a range of services in places where homeless people tend to congregate, such as hostels and day centres, and have been fully evaluated.
Both initiatives provide services to rough sleepers in Westminster, including Victoria street SW1, and have provided valuable information complementing the Government's rough sleepers initiative.
The Department also published, on 4 July, a report entitled "Tuberculosis and homeless people" which recommends strategies for the identification and treatment of tuberculosis in homeless people and contains measures to prevent tuberculosis in the homeless population.