HC Deb 20 July 1988 vol 137 cc676-7W
26. Mr. George Howarth

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement concerning the use of Government-owned empty properties for homeless families.

Mrs. Roe

Each Department is responsible for bringing its empty dwellings back into use or, where they are no longer needed for operational reasons, disposing of them as quickly as possible. Where dwellings likely to be required in future are temporarily empty, Departments are encouraged to let them to local authorities or housing associations, which can make them available to homeless families.

34. Mr. Lewis

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the number of homeless households accepted by local authorities in each year from 1985 whose homelessness resulted from mortgage arrears.

Mrs. Roe

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Hammersmith (Mr. Soley) on 27 June at column146.

72. Mr. Callaghan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the latest figures for the number of homeless families accepted by local authorities in the current year.

95. Mrs. Ann Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is his latest estimate of the number of homeless people in England.

Mrs. Roe

The available information is on the households accepted as homeless by English local authorities and the latest estimate appears in table 1 of "Local Authorities' action under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act: England. Results for the first quarter of 1988. Supplementary Tables", which is available in the Library.

83. Miss Lestor

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will provide further resources to tackle homelessness.

Mrs. Roe

We have already done so—£74 million additional resources have recently been provided, in particular to help get empty property into use for the homeless. In addition, estate action funding is available for particular schemes. Homelessness pressures will be taken into account in local authorities' HIP allocations for 1989–90, for which bids have just been invited.

96. Mr Boateng

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will give the estimated total annual cost for homeless families placed in bed and breakfast by local authorities.

Mrs. Roe

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Hammersmith (Mr. Soley) on 27 June at column159.