§ Lord Pattenasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in the interests of the health, welfare and safety of rough sleepers, they will institute a policy of zero tolerance towards sleeping on the streets where adequate and reasonable accommodation exists within (a) one mile, (b) two miles, or (c) three miles. [HL937]
§ Lord WhittyNo. The Government recognise that sleeping rough is extremely bad for the health and welfare of the individuals concerned and are therefore committed to reducing rough sleeping in England to as near zero as possible or by at least two-thirds by 2002. This commitment is backed up by a budget of nearly £200 million over three years.
One element of the Government's strategy for tackling rough sleeping is to ensure that there is adequate accommodation available. The most vulnerable rough sleepers, however, will need more than accommodation to help them off the streets. Many will have other, more complex, needs, including drugs or alcohol abuse, and mental health problems, and these must also be addressed. Only then can we help rough sleepers to develop a settled and meaningful lifestyle away from the streets.