HL Deb 24 January 1973 vol 338 cc242-5WA
LORD HYLTON

asked Her Majesty's Government:

  1. (i) How many lawful evictions and foreclosures on mortgages take place and how many illegal evictions are estimated to occur each year;
  2. (ii) How many units of temporary accommodation are currently managed by local authorities and voluntary bodies for the reception of "houseless" families, and how many of these units are within former poor law workhouses;
  3. (iii) How many families applied to local authorities for temporary accommodation in 1972 because they were houseless, and how many were accommodated;
  4. (iv) How many houseless families were turned away by local authorities because they had no temporary accommodation available;
  5. (v) How many houseless families have currently been placed by local authorities in hotels or bed and breakfast premises and whether such action (though better than none) contravenes Section 21(2) of the National Assistance Act 1948;
  6. (vi) How many houseless families are estimated to be living in cars or motor-vans or to be "sleeping rough" and how much this figure varies from winter to summer;
  7. (vii) Which local authorities provide no temporary accommodation for houseless families.

THE MINISTER OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SECURITY (LORD ABERDARE)

(i) The annual number of legal evictions or foreclosures on mortgages is not known, and it is not practicable to collect statistics of illegal acts. The attached Table 1 sets out the information available about the reasons for making application for temporary accommodation during the quarter ending September 30 (the latest available return).

TABLE 1
APPLICATIONS RECEIVED FOR TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION DURING THE QUARTER ENDED SEPTEMBER 30 1972.
A—Action taken by landlord—other than local authority:
(i) By court order for:
(a) Rent arrears 435
(b) Landlord wanted accommodation for use of self or family 297
(c) Service contract ended 225
(d) Landlord defaulted on mortgage 56
(e) Other reasons 457
(ii) Actions other than court order:
(a) Authorised increase in rent 5
(b) Illegal increase in rent 6
(c) Harassment 171
(d) Other reasons 438
B—Local authority action:
(i) As a landlord:
(a) Rent arrears 1,569
(b) Service contract ended 11
(c) Other reasons 59
TABLE 2
PERSONS IN TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION ON MARCH 31, 1972
Family Accommodation Communal Accommodation Accommodation provided for LA's by Voluntary Organisations Total
County councils 6,221 338 80 6,639
County boroughs 5,185 208 2 5,395
County councils and county boroughs 11,406 546 82 12,034
Inner London 7,338 138 49 7,525
Outer London 4,996 98 269 5,363
G.L.C. area 12,334 236 318 12,888
Grand Total 23,740 782 400 24,922
TABLE 3
FAMILIES IN TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION ON MARCH 31, 1972
Family Accommodation Communal Accommodation Total
County councils … … 1,167 82 1,249
County boroughs … … 984 64 1,048
County councils and county boroughs … … 2,151 146 2,297
Inner London … … 1,748 42 1,790
Outer London … … 1,160 28 1,188
G.L.C. area … … 2,908 70 2,978
Grand Total … … 5,059 216 5,275
(ii) Otherwise (e.g. notices served on landlord under Public Health Acts, etc.) 52
C—Other reasons:
(a) Unauthorised occupants 589
(b) Family disputes
(i) between husband and wife or cohabitees 761
(ii) involving other relatives 790
(c) Fire, flood and storm 77
(d) From hotel or other similar accommodation 102
(e) New to area 616
(f) Other reasons 641
Total 7,357

(ii) The quarterly returns made by local authorities relate to the number of families and persons living in temporary accommodation and not to the number or the nature of the buildings used. But for the quarter ending March 31, 1972, returns were received of the number of persons and families living in family and communal accommodation respectively, and these are given in Tables 2 and 3 below.

(iii) Figures for 1972 are so far available only up to September 30, by which date there had been 20,397 applications by families for temporary accommodation and 4,860 admissions.

(iv) This information is not available. The differences between the number of applications and the number of admissions does not represent the number of families turned away because of a shortage of accommodation. Some applications are not pursued by the applicant, some families are re-housed by the local authority or find their own permanent accommodation, some move in with relatives, and some find other solutions to their problem.

(v) Figures are not available about the use of hotels or "bed and breakfast accommodation for homeless families; its use does not contravene Section 21(2) of the National Assistance Act 1948.

(vi) Reliable estimates are not available.

(vii) This information is not available, and in any case would be liable to mislead. Some authorities make all provision for homeless families through their housing department: in others families' needs are met in consultation with the appropriate housing authority.

The information is in respect of England only.