§ Mr. SoleyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what is the most recent estimate of the number of homeless households occupying bed-and-breakfast accommodation who have been placed there by local authorities; and what is(a) the average weekly cost of the accommodation and (b) the estimated total annual cost.
§ Mrs. RoeLatest estimates of the number of households in bed-and-breakfast accommodation appear in table 4(a) of "Local authorities' action under the homeless provisions of the 1985 Housing Act: England. Results for the first quarter of 1988. Supplementary Tables", which is in the Library.
For estimates of the average costs per household day I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning to the hon. Member for Southwark and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 21 January at column 826.
The estimated total expenditure on bed-and-breakfast accommodation by English local authorities in 1986–87 is £97 million gross and £75 million net.