§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Prime Minister if he will establish a post of co-ordinator of the Government's policies in respect of the homeless. [69271]
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§ The Prime MinisterGovernment policy on homelessness is co-ordinated by my hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Housing, in consultation with her colleagues, particularly my hon. Friends the Minister with responsibility for housing, transport and European affairs for Scotland, the Minister with responsibility for the environment and agriculture for Northern Ireland and the Minister responsible for housing in Wales. The problems of rough sleeping are particularly intense in London, where there is borough and district fragmentation and a large number of rough sleepers. We are creating a new single unit for the capital with a unified budget for tackling these issues including housing, health, employment and resettlement to link the work of central Government departments and agencies, local authority services, the voluntary sector and business, as recommended by the Social Exclusion Unit. My hon. Friend the Minister for Local Government and Housing expects to announce the appointment of the new head of the London Unit shortly.