§ Mr. John CryerTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps his Department is proposing to ensure that adequate housing is available for evacuees from Montserrat. [13848]
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§ Ms ArmstrongLocal authorities need to be able to respond as flexibly as possible to the needs of Montserratians arriving here under the Government's Montserrat assisted passage scheme, which provides for voluntary evacuation.
We recognise that authorities will incur additional costs when making accommodation available to people who would not normally have applied to them for housing. Montserrat is a British Dependent Territory and the evacuees have lost their homes. We must do our best to ensure that evacuees coming here under the MAP Scheme are given as smooth a reception as possible, although it may not always be possible to accommodate them in the area they would prefer.
We are proposing to offer a special grant to encourage authorities to make vacant property more quickly available to house evacuees who have come to this country under the MAP Scheme and who have nowhere to stay. This should help settle evacuees throughout the country under arrangements set up by the Home Office. Evacuees with a Montserratian passport are already broadly eligible for the same welfare benefits, state education, healthcare and access to social housing as UK nationals.
The special grant would be provided under the Local Government Finance Act 1988, and we intend to submit a report for the House's approval early next year. The Department has written today to Chief Executives and Chief Housing Officers of English local housing authorities, setting out details of the scheme and arrangements for making claims. Copies of the letter have been placed in the Library. Subject to approval of the House, £1,500 will be made available for each unit of accommodation provided for qualifying households placed with local authorities by the Home Office between 27 August 1997 and 31 January 1998. The grant scheme has been drawn up after consultation with the Local Government Association.
Grant will be offered on a similar basis by the Housing Corporation to registered social landlords who independently offer to provide accommodation for evacuees under the Home Office's arrangements.