§ Mr. Greville Jannerasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, in view of the figures for missing persons aged 18 and under supplied by the Home Secretary to the hon. and learned Member for Leicester, North-West, he will set up an agency to seek and to provide accommodation for young homeless persons under the age of 18.
§ Mr. DeanI do not think a special agency is necessary. In the White Paper "Widening the Choice: the Next Steps in Housing" (Cmnd. 5280), presented to Parliament in April, the Government announced their plans to give additional help to organisations providing accommodation for many types of single person, particularly the young. A significant proportion of those accommodated in the Supplementary Benefit Commissioner's new reception centre in Soho are young people, and the commission also makes grants to several organisations providing accommodation mainly for homeless young people.