Homeless People (Hansard, 29 July 1988)

§ Mr. Soley
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to which bed-and-breakfast hotels in London will accept single homeless people without payment of rent in advance and as to what alternative accommodation is available to them.

§ Mr. Trippier
This information is not collected centrally. Single homeless people can approach their local authority for advice, or assistance, under part III of the Housing Act 1985.

§ Mr. Soley
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) if he has any plans to provide additional funds to those organisations providing shelter for homeless people;
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(2) when his Department will be able to provide an estimate of the numbers of single homeless people in London;
(3) if he will provide an estimate of the numbers of single homeless people using direct access hostels each night.

§ Mr. Trippier
I shall write to the hon. Member.

§ Mr. Norman Hogg
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will outline the estimated costs to public funds of(a) keeping homeless families in hotels and (b) building new council houses for those families.

§ Mr. Trippier
[holding answer 14 July 1988]: Estimates of the revenue costs in 1986–87 in Greater London and English non-metropolitan districts were given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning in reply to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 21 January, at column 826.
Corresponding estimates for English metropolitan districts are as follows:

New build £3,200 per annum¹

Bed and breakfast £26 per day²

¹ Estimated average total first year costs to local authorities of a newly built dwelling, derived from information on costs (including land and fees) provided by authorities in housing subsidy. Costs vary widely between authorities and from year to year, reflecting differences in the mix of work and in land costs.

² Estimated average gross daily cost per household, based on returns to CIPFA from those authorities which reported both the number of household-days of bed and breakfast provided and the gross expenditure on it.

New build	£3,200 per annum¹
Bed and breakfast	£26 per day²
¹ Estimated average total first year costs to local authorities of a newly built dwelling, derived from information on costs (including land and fees) provided by authorities in housing subsidy. Costs vary widely between authorities and from year to year, reflecting differences in the mix of work and in land costs.
² Estimated average gross daily cost per household, based on returns to CIPFA from those authorities which reported both the number of household-days of bed and breakfast provided and the gross expenditure on it.