HC Deb 16 December 1992 vol 216 c291W
17. Mr. Home Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will estimate how many people in Scotland will be homeless on 25 December.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

A forecast of the number of homeless would be very difficult to assess at any given time. The Government are devoting very substantial resources to local authorities whose responsibility it is to deal with this problem.

28. Mr. Wray

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has for rehousing the homeless.

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton

The Government provide resources to local authorities so that they can carry out their statutory duty of providing accommodation, or advice and help in finding accommodation, for those assessed as homeless. These resources have included extra allocations of nearly £23 million in 1991–93.

The Government also provide funding for Scottish Homes, which issued a policy statement on homelessness on 12 November. Scottish Homes' target for 1992–93 is to secure the provision of accommodation for 1,750 households assessed as homeless by local authorities.