§ Miss Lestorasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will investigate the extent to which local authorities are carrying out their obligation to provide temporary accommodation to homeless families with children; and if he will make a statement on the present position.
§ Mr. DeanI am satisfied that local authorities generally are seeking to discharge their responsibilities in this respect, but following the recent reports of the joint working parties on the position in London and South-West England I am discussing with my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment and representatives of local200W authorities what steps should be taken to improve the arrangements for accommodating homeless families with children.
§ Miss Lestorasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will ascertain and publish the number of children who are currently in the care of local authorities as a result of homelessness; and how many of these have been in care for over two months.
§ Mr. AlisonI regret that this information could not at present be obtained without special inquiry; I am considering what additional information might be sought in the annual returns which local authorities will be asked to submit after 1974. The available information, based on provisional figures, is that 2,988 children whose families were homeless were recorded by local authorities in England and Wales as received into care in the year ending 31st March 1972. Present returns do not show what other factors may also have been present in these cases, or the length of stay in care.