§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what surveys have taken place as to the number of people who sleep rough in London each night; when such surveys were conducted; and what was the number of people found to be sleeping rough.
§ Mrs. CurrieI have been asked to reply.
I am not aware of any more recent official survey than the one in 1965 by the National Assistance Board which found that there were then approximately 275 people sleeping rough in London. There are extreme methodological difficulties in counting accurately the number of people sleeping rough because of their constant mobility and lack of willingness to respond to official inquiries.