§ 19. Mr. WrayTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposals he has in respect of homelessness in Scotland.
§ Mr. McAllionTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received relating to the statutory duty on local authorities to provide permanent accommodation for homeless; and what percentage of these representations favoured retention of this statutory duty.
§ Lord James Douglas-HamiltonWe have received nearly 160 responses to our consultation paper. Ninety-seven per cent. of the consultees expressed strong support for the retention of local housing authorities' duty to provide permanent accommodation for unintentionally homeless people in priority need. We are now considering the responses to all of the questions posed and we shall announce our decisions in due course.