§ Mr. CoxTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what research has been commissioned by his Department on the number of(a) men and (b) women, 489W over the age of 60 years, who are homeless and sleeping rough within the Greater London area; and if he will make a statement. [8553]
§ Mr. ClappisonInformation about the extent of rough sleeping is mostly anecdotal or estimated, except for central London, where voluntary sector agencies carry out a twice-yearly count of rough sleepers. The methodology for this arose from an independent evaluation of the rough sleepers initiative, commissioned by my Department. The most recent count, in November 1995, found 272 people sleeping rough in central London, of whom 25 men and seven women were aged 60 years or more.
The Government are considering assisting the development of the successful rough sleepers initiative model in areas outside central London where rough sleeping can be demonstrated to be a major problem. A Government consultation paper about the future of the initiative, issued on 3 October, invited local authorities to quantify the extent of rough sleeping in their areas. The responses are now being analysed.