§ Mr. SteenTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will conduct an inquiry into how much housing benefit has been paid to tenants towards the cost of their accommodation which has then not been paid to their landlords;
(2) what information he has as to the amount of money owing to private landlords as a result of the failure of tenants receiving housing benefit to pay their landlords for rent due.
§ Miss WiddecombeThe Department does not collect information relating to third parties, such as the level of debts owed to landlords. Representations received from landlords and their organisations indicate that the number of housing benefit recipients who persistently default on rent payments is relatively small. Regulations already give local authorities powers to pay benefit direct to a person's landlord, for example where rent arrears have accrued or where social or medical problems clearly indicate that help with budgeting is needed. We therefore have no plans to conduct an inquiry into the alleged misuse of housing benefit by private tenants.