§ Mr. Batisteasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what are his plans for the future of resettlement units and re-establishment centres.
§ Mr. NewtonThe supplementary benefit division of the Department currently runs resettlement units which provide temporary board and lodging for people without a settled way of life with a view to influencing them to lead a more settled way of life. Alongside these, mostly on the same sites, it also runs re-establishment centres at which the long-term unemployed are given training to help to fit them for return to employment.
This provision, which is largely a relic of the Poor Law workhouses, has come to seem increasingly anomalous in the context of the responsibilities now exercised by local authority housing and social services departments, and the expanded training responsibility of the Manpower Services Commission. Since 1981 the Department has been carrying through a scheme to replace Camberwell resettlement unit, whose lease is due to expire at the end of this year. More recently we have been reviewing the future of the resettlement units and re-establishment centres generally. We have taken particular account of the fact that some of the units are in a state which would require significant capital expenditure if their present role were to continue, and of the evidence that, despite the conscientious and caring work of resettlement unit staff, the resettlement units have proved less successful in their stated role than voluntary hostels directed to the same end.
In the light of these considerations we have now decided to work towards the gradual closure of resettlement units, in association with measures to promote the development of better alternative arrangements to meet the needs of people without a settled way of life, and to close the re-establishment centres as soon as possible. There will be full consultation with the trade unions about the effect of these changes on the staff of the resettlement units and the re-establishment centres.
The initiatives in more detail are as follows:
Resettlement Units Outside London
Outside London, a process of regional consultation with voluntary organisations and local authorities is to be launched to identify alternative arrangements for resettling people without a settled way of life in accordance with my right hon. Friend's statutory obligation. The aim will be the closure of the most dilapidated units over the next three 549W years or so to avoid wasteful expenditure on them. The future of the other units outside London will be considered further in the light of proposals coming forward from the voluntary sector. The resources saved will be used to finance alternative schemes in the voluntary sector.
Resettlement Units in London
Until the Camberwell replacement scheme is further advanced, no action will be taken on the other seven London resettlement units and their future will be reviewed later.
Re-Establishment Centres
All re-establishment centres will be closed as soon as possible. Again, the resources saved will be used to finance resettlement schemes in the voluntary sector.
§ Mr. Geoffrey Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many persons stayed in the 23 resettlement units provided by his Department on the night of 30 November 1984; how many of those were eligible for housing accommodation from a local housing authority by virtue of being vulnerable through old age, mental illness or handicap, physical disability or pregnancy, under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977; and what
Unit Beds available per night (averaged out where necessary) Average occupancy level (per cent.) Alvaston (near Derby) 80 58.7 Brighton 38 76.3 Crown Quay Lodge (Sittingbourne) 66 63.6 Fazakerley (Liverpool) 57 84.2 Glasgow 77 81.8 Leeds 96 61.4 Leicester 95 84.2 Newbury 66 95.4 Plawsworth (County Durham) 118 47.4 Southampton 80 92.5 South Wales (near Bridgend) 64 60.9 Walkden (near Manchester) 82 97.6 West Mids (Lye) 123 50.4 Winterbourne (near Bristol) 77 71.4 Woodhouse (near Sheffield) 96 70.8 Bridge House (North Kensington) 114 83.5 Camberwell 300 82.2 Camden 38 85.8 Cedars Lodge (Clapham) 100 76.0 Lancelot Andrewes House (Southwark) 48 80.1 Pound Lodge (Willesden) 79 70.8 Spur House (Lewisham) 149 86.0 West End House (Soho) 70 89.0
§ Mr. Geoffrey Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services, during the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available, how many individuals were provided, when leaving each of the 23 resettlement units, with accommodation under the following categories: (a) local authority tenancies, (b) housing association tenancies and (c) local authority part III accommodation.
550W
Unit Local authority tenancies Housing Association tenancies Part III Accommodation Alvaston (near Derby) 2 — 1 Brighton 1 — — Crown Quay Lodge (Sittingbourne) 1 — 4 Fazakerley (Liverpool) 37 8 — Glasgow 29 — 1 Leeds 7 14 3 arrangements exist between each of the 23 resettlement units and local housing authorities for the rehousing of those homeless people who are vulnerable under the Act.
§ Mr. Whitney[pursuant to his reply, 29 January 1985, c. 165]: A total of 1,578 persons stayed in the 23 DHSS resettlement units on the night of 30 November 1984. It is not known how many of them were eligible for housing under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977. Resettlement unit staff have formed close working relationships with local authority housing and social service departments in order to help such persons.
§ Mr. Geoffrey Robinsonasked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many beds were provided in each of the 23 resettlement units during the most recent 12-month period for which figures are available; and what was the average rate of occupancy for each unit during the same period.
§ Mr. Whitney[pursuant to his reply, 29 January 1985, c. 165–66]: The table shows how many beds were provided in each of the 23 DHSS resettlement units during the 12 months ended 20 November 1984 and the average occupancy for each unit during that period.
§ Mr. Whitney[pursuant to his reply, 29 January 1985, c. 165–66]: The following table shows the number of individuals provided with various categories of accommodation on leaving the resettlement units during the 12 months ended 20 November 1984.
551W
Unit Local authority tenancies Housing Association tenancies Part III Accommodation Leicester 4 15 — Newbury 1 — 4 Plawsworth (County Durham) 8 — — Southampton 1 — 1 South Wales (near Bridgend) 2 — — Walkden (near Manchester) 17 — 1 West Mids (Lye) 13 4 — Winterbourne (near Bristol) — 2 — Woodhouse (near Sheffield) 4 1 2 Bridge House (North Kensington) 24 6 12 Camberwell 7 22 12 Camden 10 8 4 Cedars Lodge (Clapham) 19 10 5 Lancelot Andrewes House (Southwark) 10 13 4 Pound Lodge (Witlesden) 20 9 10 Spur House (Lewisham) 32 15 63 West End House (Soho) — — — 249 127 127