§ Mr. Squireasked the Secretary of State for the Environment, pursuant to the answer of 12 June, Official Report, column 307, what steps he is now taking to determine the effect of the Pulhoffer judgment on the housing of homeless families by local authorities.
§ Sir George YoungThis aspect will be covered along with others in our forthcoming postal survey of all housing authorities of their policies and practice under Part III of the Act, including the circumstances in which they accept people as homeless and the use of different kinds of accommodation for homeless people; in detailed case studies of selected authorities; and in my officials regular discussions with authorities. We shall also be monitoring the regular quarterly statistics returned by authorities on homelessness and pursuing with them the reasons for any substantial changes in, for instance, the proportion of applicants found not to be homeless. In addition we will be taking account of any further relevant court judgments and any evidence which the voluntary bodies choose to submit to us from their experience in advising homeless people.