§ Mr. Jim CunninghamTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much has been allocated to tackling homelessness in the West Midlands under the Rough Sleepers Initiative since 1990. [43014]
20W
§ Mr. RaynsfordSince 1996 the Rough Sleepers Initiative has been extended to 27 areas outside London. Following guidance issued by my Department three local authorities in the West Midlands carried out single night street counts of rough sleepers and found a significant problem. As a result, strategies to tackle rough sleeping were drawn up by the authorities in consultation with the voluntary sector and bids for funding were made to my Department. We have offered almost £200,000 in pump-priming funding in 1998–99 for outreach and resettlement services to four voluntary sector organisations working in Birmingham, Stoke on Trent, and Newcastle-under-Lyme.