§ 16. Mr. LoveTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to address homelessness in the capital. [128415]
§ Mr. RaynsfordThe aim of the Government's housing strategy, set out in the Housing Green Paper, "Quality and Choices: A decent home for all", is to offer everyone the opportunity of a decent home and so promote social cohesion, well-being and self-dependence. We have increased housing investment programme resources for London local authorities by 54 per cent. in the current financial year and we are supporting the Association of London Government's Housing Partnership Initiative to help alleviate the shortage of social housing in the London area. We are also spending £160 million in London over the three financial years to April 2002 as part of our commitment to reducing the numbers sleeping rough.