HC Deb 20 November 1981 vol 13 c264W
Mr. Best

asked the Secretary of State for Social Services if he will make a statement about future provision in London for people without a settled way of life, in the light of the proposed closure of the Camberwell resettlement unit.

Mrs. Chalker

I have now reached a decision on a new strategy to provide alternative accommodation to replace Camberwell resettlement unit which must close by December 1985. My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Construction and I have agreed that the Department of Health and Social Security will make funds available to housing associations, through the Housing Corporation, for them to provide new hostel bed spaces in London for people without a settled way of life. My proposals mean that we no longer need to build the new resettlement unit which had been considered for the site of the former Battersea general hospital, nor do we propose to make additional direct central Government provision by building further new resettlement units in London to replace Camberwell.

The new proposals will provide a total of 985 hostel bed spaces. The DHSS will provide, via the Housing Corporation, capital for 200 bed spaces, and topping up funds to cover the caring costs of all 985 bed spaces. This money will be made available under schedule 5 to the Supplementary Benefits Act 1976—as amended. My hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Construction will provide capital for 785 bed spaces as housing association grant through the Housing Corporation and hostel deficit grant to cover the housing management costs of all 985 bed spaces. The 200 bed spaces funded with DHSS capital will be specifically reserved for men from Camberwell. While the remaining 785 places will be for people without a settled way of life in London generally, Camberwell men will be fully eligible to occupy these places.

In addition to the bed spaces in new hostels the DHSS aims to provide up to 70 more places in existing resettlement units. It is also hoped that the London boroughs will be able to make places available in part III accommodation for 60 men from Camberwell.

The total package will provide 1,115 places. It is our intention that 700 of the 985 hostel places should be ready by the time Camberwell closes, and that the whole programme should be completed by March 1987.

My hon. Friend and I, together with the chairman of the Housing Corporation, met representatives of the London Boroughs Association and the GLC on 18 November and they welcomed this combined approach by the DOE and the DHSS to the problems in London of people without a settled way of life.