§ Baroness DAVIDasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they have any information as to the extent to which local housing authorities in England and Wales oblige spouses to pay off the rent arrears of the other spouse before rehousing them in the case of a matrimonial separation.
§ Lord BELLWINNeither the Department of the Environment nor the Welsh Office collects this information. However, my right honourable friends the Secretaries of State for the Environment and for Wales believe that local authorities will have taken note of reports of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Local Administration criticising this practice and they have seen no evidence to suggest that it is now widespread.