§ Mr. Austin MitchellTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment how many places were made available for those sleeping rough in central London in 1985, 1990, 1993, and what is his estimate for 1995; and what was the average take-up rate, expressed as a percentage.
§ Sir George YoungAccommodation for people sleeping rough in central London is provided by a variety of agencies, including the Resettlement Agency, housing associations, local authorities and the voluntary sector. My Department does not have detailed information on the total number of places available, nor average occupancy rates for any particular year, and I cannot estimate how many places might be available in a future year.
As part of the rough sleepers initiative 1990–91 to 1995–96 in central London, the Government are funding emergency and temporary bedspaces in winter shelters, 14W nightshelters and hostels; temporary accommodation in properties leased from private sector landlords; and permanent accommodation in flats and houses for people to move on to. This provision, which includes at least 3,300 places in permanent move-on accommodation, has enabled many thousands of people to start a new life away from the streets, and will continue to do so.