§ Mr. BattleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what investigation he has made into the causes of the change in the numbers of households recorded as homeless at home after acceptance by local authorities in England as homeless under part III of the Housing Act 1985.
§ Sir George YoungLocal authorities report the number of households for whom they accept responsibility to secure permanent accommodation under the homelessness provisions of the Housing Act 1985 in their quarterly P1(E) return.
In the second quarter of 1991 the return was revised to identify households who after acceptance remain temporarily in their existing accommodation until permanent accommodation can be found. Latest estimates of such "homeless at home" households at the end of each quarter are as follows:
"Homeless at Home" households Q2 1991 110,020 Q3 1991 19,970 Q4 1991 18,700 Q1 1992 18,460 Q2 1992 111,080 Q3 1992 10,670 1 Estimates for these quarters have been revised since first published. The variations between quarters in these estimates are likely to represent both seasonal and other fluctuations in homeless acceptances and in the availability of permanent rehousing.