§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) how many families with dependent children were accepted as homeless in 1990, or at the nearest available date;
(2) how many families with dependent children, accepted as homeless by their local authority, were placed in bed-and-breakfast accommodation in 1990 or at the nearest available date; and if he will express the answer in terms of the total number for England and the number for each local authority;
(3) what was the average length of stay for families with dependent children, who were accepted as homeless by the local authority, and placed in bed-and-breakfast accommodation, in 1990 or at the nearest available date; and if he will express the answer in terms of the average length of stay for England and for each local authority.
§ Sir George YoungLocal authorities have a statutory duty to secure accommodation for households who have been found homeless, or threatened with homelessness, and in priority need, under part III of the Housing Act 1985. Information is reported quarterly to the Department.
In 1989–90 local authorities accepted and found accommodation for some 80,000 households with dependent children. The information provided does not indentify families with dependent children placed in bed and breakfast accommodation nor the average length of stay and my Department has no estimates. The latest estimates for England for the total number of homeless households in bed and breakfast accommodation, for the end of September 1990, appear in table 4(a) of "Households found accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act: England. Results for the third quarter 1990. Supplementary Tables", a copy of which is in the Library. Available information for individual local authorities appears in table 7 of the same document.