§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what information he has of the numbers of (a) hospital admissions and (b) deaths as a result of exposure arising from sleeping rough in London since the beginning of 1985.
§ Mr. John PattenI shall let the hon. Member have a reply as soon as possible.
§ Mr. Tony Banksasked the Secretary of State for Social Services what is his most recent estimate of the number of people sleeping rough in London.
§ Mr. John PattenNo statistics are collected of the number of people sleeping rough in London. As I explained in my reply on 18 January at column260 to my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing, North (Mr. Greenway), accommodation for the homeless is mainly a matter for the local authorities who have specific duties under the Housing (Homeless Persons) Act 1977.