§ Mr. GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) what is the average cost per unit of accommodation in(a) bed-and-breakfast accommodation and (b) hostel accommodation in the west midlands and Walsall;
(2) what was the cost to Walsall metropolitan borough council of providing bed-and-breakfast accommodation for those families officially registered as homeless for each year since 1987.
§ Mr. BaldryWalsall has provided no information to the Department on the. cost of bed-and-breakfast and hostel accommodation although it does make use of such accommodation to temporarily house homeless households.
Corresponding information for the other authorities in the west midlands is also incomplete and my Department has no estimates.
§ Mr. GeorgeTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many(a) families and (b) single people were accepted by Walsall metropolitan borough authority as homeless in the last year for which figures were available; and what is the estimate for the end of 1992.
§ Mr. BaldryLocal authorities report, in part E of their quarterly PI return, the number of households for whom they accept responsibility to secure permanent accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 Housing Act.
Information for Walsall for the year ending September 1992 is as follows:
of which Total households accepted Families and pregnant women Young single people Walsall 1,956 1,381 90 The Department has no estimates for the end of 1992.