§ Baroness Fisher of Rednalasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether the rough sleepers initiative, which started in London, also operates in Birmingham and other large cities.
§ Viscount UllswaterThe Government's £182 million rough sleepers initiative continues to be focused on central London where there remain the greatest concentrations of people sleeping rough. A count by voluntary sector organisations in November 1994 found 288 people sleeping rough in the main central London sites. Outside central London, it is properly the responsibility of each local authority to consider the housing needs of all the people living in its area, including people sleeping rough, when drawing up its housing strategy. The rough sleepers initiative has shown how voluntary and statutory agencies can work together towards the relief of street homelessness, and I commend this model to all local authorities.