HC Deb 19 February 1991 vol 186 cc107-8W
Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if, as a matter of urgency, he will contact the Lambeth health authority to discuss the use of the South London hospital for women as a hostel for homeless people on the streets of London; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Yeo

I understand that the health authority is unable to make the hospital available for use by homeless people, or for other purposes, mainly because ownership of part of the site is at present the subject of an unresolved legal dispute. The Government have funded the provision of 700 additional bed spaces in emergency shelters in London during the very cold weather of the past 10 days. Most of the shelters have been full, but some still have a few spaces for rough sleepers to use. We are providing £96 million over three years to provide sufficient accommodation in hostel places and longer-term housing to ensure that it is unnecessary for anyone to sleep rough.