§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales what new measures he proposes to tackle the housing needs of(a) the homeless, (b) young families, (c) vulnerable single people and (d) those with special needs.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettI have today announced a personal initiative for single or other homeless people with special or severe difficulty. Local authorities have been invited to submit proposals for a pilot scheme to develop new measures of support and make the best use of existing resources, in partnership with other relevant local statutory and non-statutory bodies. Resources of up to £800,000 are to be allocated over a period of three years to fund the scheme.
Local authorities have also been invited to bid against a capital reserve of £2.88 million and revenue support for local voluntary bodies of £150,000 for homelessness projects. The reserve is designed to complement authorities' own efforts in dealing with cases of homelessness, within the context of the approach to partnership with housing associations and voluntary bodies which is developing strongly in Wales.
446WThese measures are additional to plans in hand with Housing for Wales to increase the total housing association stock by over one third by 1993–94, so directly benefiting a range of groups including families and those in special need.
§ Mr. Barry JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many(a) council, (b) private and (c) housing association houses have been completed in each of the last 10 years in Wales.
§ Mr. Nicholas BennettI shall write to the hon. Gentleman and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.