Mr. Robert AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) on what date he received representations from(a) Westminster and (b) Wandsworth asking that homelessness be used as an indicator for the purposes of standard spending assessment distribution;
(2) what (a) evidence of their need to spend in respect of homelessness or (b) plans for increased spending was provided by Wandsworth borough council when asking that homelessness be used as an indicator for standard spending assessment distribution;
(3) what (a) evidence of need to spend in respect of homelessness or (b) plans for increased spending was provided by Westminster city council when asking that homelessness be used as an indicator for standard spending assessment distribution.
§ Mr. BaldryAs regards the local government finance settlement for 1994–95, representations in support of a separate indicator for homelessness were received from Westminster city council in 1993 on 8 April, 14 July, 5 October, 11 October and 23 December. These representations included an analysis of applications for accommodation over the period 1989–90 to 1992–93, net expenditure on rent allowances 1990–91 to 1992–93 and292W projections of such expenditure to 1996–97. No such representations were received from Wandsworth borough council.
§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment whether he will give an estimate of the number of single homeless people in England and Wales, and what proportion of these are women.
§ Sir George YoungMy Department does not make estimates of the numbers of single homeless people. The only source of national data on persons sleeping rough is the 1991 census of population, which found 2,650 people doing so on census night—21–22 April—at a number of predetermined sites. Of these, 407—15 per cent.—were women.
For information on Wales, I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment (1) whether he will provide a breakdown of numbers of those accepted as statutorily homeless in England and Wales in the most recent year for which figures are available falling into different priority need categories; and what proportion in each category were women;
(2) how many people were accepted as statutorily homeless in England and Wales in the most recent year for which figures are available; and what proportion of these were women.
§ Sir George YoungThe numbers of households for which local authorities in England accepted responsibility to secure permanent accommodation in the year ending 30 September 1993, the latest 12 months for which figures are available, in each of the priority need categories is as follows:
Number Households with dependent children 81,250 Household member pregnant and no other dependent children 17,790 Household member vulnerable due to: (a) old age 5,940 (b) physical disability 5,320 (c) mental illness/handicap 5,990 (d) other reasons 15,990 Households homeless in emergency 1,130 Total households in priority need 133,410 Households not in priority need 4,530 Total acceptances 137,940 Information is not collected on the composition of these households so the number of women in each category is not known and my Department has no estimates.
For information about Wales, I refer the hon. Member to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.
Mr. Robert AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when the issue of using homelessness as an indicator was first raised and by whom in the 1993 consultation with local authorities on the standard spending assessment settlement.
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§ Mr. BaldryLocal authorities in London, and their associations, have repeatedly raised the issue of using an indicator of homelessness in standard spending assessments since the inception of the system in 1990.
§ Ms ShortTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what information he has as to the number of people made homeless in England and Wales as a result of relationship breakdown, the proportion of these cases which involved domestic violence, and the proportion of those cited in the answers who were women, in the last year for which figures are available.
§ Sir George YoungThe latest available information provided by local authorities, on homeless households accepted for permanent rehousing, shows that 25,930 households in England lost their last settled home because of relationship breakdown with a partner in the year ending 30 September 1993, and that 67 per cent. of these were the result of violent breakdown.
Ranking of authorities Proportion of household residents under 16 years of age living in rented accommodation Proportion of households living in rented purpose built flats in residential buildings Proportion of household residents of pensionable age living in rented accommodation 1 Tower Hamlets Tower Hamlets Tower Hamlets 2 Southwark Southwark Islington 3 Islington Hackney Hackney 4 Camden Islington Southwark 5 Hackney City of London Camden 6 Lambeth Lambeth Westminster These variables are used respectively in the children in need index, within the all other services block social index and the personal social services other social services index, and within the potential elderly domiciliary clients formula and the potential elderly supported residents formula.
Mr. Robert AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what evidence he has as to the impact of nature of housing tenure on local authorities need to spend on personal social services or the areas of spending covered by the all other services area.
§ Mr. BaldryThe district level all other services standard spending assessment and personal social services SSA both include housing tenure indicators. The inclusion of these measures was based on detailed statistical analysis. The results of this statistical analysis were discussed in the SSA subgroup meetings where all the local authority associations are represented. The report of the SSA sub-group for 1994–95 is in the Library.
Mr. Robert AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment which local authorities made representations to his Department seeking the use of nature of housing tenure as an indicator for the purpose of standard spending assessment distribution.
§ Mr. BaldrySince my right hon. Friend announced details of the provisional revenue support grant settlement for 1994–95, no local authorities have made representations seeking the use of nature of housing tenure as an indicator in standard spending assessments.