Rough Sleepers (Hansard, 10 December 2001)

§ Mr. Clifton-Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what directions have been given to local authorities since May 1997 concerning the estimation of rough sleepers in their area. [22045]

§ Ms Keeble
Local authorities have been asked annually since 1996 to provide estimates of rough sleeping in their areas in statistical returns to my Department as part of the Housing Investment Programme (HIP).
Additionally, my Department encourages local authorities to work with voluntary sector homelessness agencies to conduct head counts of people sleeping rough in their areas. The Government's policy, set out in an answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Luton, South (Margaret Moran) on 19 May 1999, Official Report, column 357W, is to encourage: at least two counts a year in areas with a substantial number of rough sleepers (20 or more on a single night); at least one count a year in areas with between 10 and 19 rough sleepers on a single night; and counts in a selection of areas estimating fewer than 10 rough sleepers on a single night to spot check the validity of those estimates.

§ Mr. Clifton-Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps his Department and the Rough Sleepers Unit are taking to improve the quality of information on the numbers of people sleeping rough. [22044]

§ Ms Keeble
My Department, through the Rough Sleepers Unit and the Housing Directorate's Housing Data and Statistics Division, monitors and seeks to improve information on the extent of rough sleeping in England by encouraging all local authorities to estimate the numbers of rough sleepers in their areas; by investigating claims by local agencies that they have evidence of a local problem that does not show up in local authorities' Housing Investment Programme (HIP) statistical returns to the Department; and by encouraging areas where there is a known rough sleeping problem to undertake street counts at appropriate intervals, depending on the size of the local rough sleeping problem.
575W
Agencies and local authorities working with the Rough Sleepers Unit collect a range of other information about rough sleepers.
The hon. Member will know that the Homelessness Bill, currently in the other place, will place a new duty on local authorities to conduct regular reviews of the levels, and likely future levels, of all forms of homelessness in their districts.

§ Mr. Clifton-Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what changes his Department and the Rough Sleepers Unit have made to the methodology for counting rough sleepers since the guidance published in 1996. [22043]

§ Ms Keeble
None.

§ Mr. Clifton-Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what requirements the Government have placed on local authorities to engage in street counts of rough sleepers. [22046]

§ Ms Keeble
My Department monitors the extent of rough sleeping in England by encouraging all local authorities to estimate the numbers of rough sleepers in their areas; by investigating claims by local agencies that they have evidence of a local problem that does not show up in local authorities' Housing Investment Programme (HIP) statistical returns to the Department; and by encouraging areas where there is a known rough sleeping problem to undertake street counts at appropriate intervals, depending on the size of the local rough sleeping problem.
In areas with a substantial number of rough sleepers (20 or more on a single night) at least two counts a year are encouraged.
In areas with between 10 and 19 rough sleepers on a single night, at least one count a year is encouraged.
In other areas with fewer than 10 rough sleepers on a single night, local authorities are asked to report estimates through their annual HIP returns. My Department ensures that street counts are undertaken in a selection of these areas to spot check the validity of estimates, especially in areas which have previously recorded a significant problem.

§ Mr. Clifton-Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received over the last four years concerning the manner in which rough sleepers head counts are conducted. [22048]

§ Ms Keeble
The Government's Rough Sleepers Unit has received a number of oral and written inquiries and representations about the methodology for counting and estimating the number of people sleeping rough in England.
Head counts of people sleeping rough provide a useful `snapshot' of the numbers of people sleeping rough. The methodology originated among voluntary sector agencies working with rough sleepers in London and was developed by my Department in partnership with the voluntary sector. Despite occasional criticism, independent evaluation has shown consistently that such counts are the most effective method for evaluating changes in the levels of rough sleeping.
576W
They are just one of the tools by which the effectiveness of the Government's strategy on rough sleeping may be gauged. Additional monitoring information provided by agencies providing services as part of local rough sleeping strategies is also useful in making sure rough sleepers are getting the help they need.

§ Mr. Clifton-Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what communications his Department and the Rough Sleepers Unit have had with (a) the Metropolitan and (b) the City of London police concerning the rough sleeping head counts in London over the last four years. [22047]

§ Ms Keeble
My Department's "Guidance on evaluating the extent of rough sleeping" states that the police should be consulted in advance of any rough sleepers count as one of the key local agencies in contact with rough sleepers. The police may also be involved in the count in some areas to ensure the safety of counters.
The Rough Sleepers Unit and the agencies which it funds have regular contact with police forces around the country—including the Metropolitan police and the City of London police—as part of the planning and carrying out of a head count. We also encourage Contact and Assessment Teams and other funded agencies to liaise with police throughout the year.

§ Mr. Clifton-Brown
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what research his Department and the Rough Sleepers Unit have conducted into the movements of rough sleepers who are placed into (a) hostels and (b) other temporary accommodation; and if he will place a copy of the documents in the Library. [22049]

§ Ms Keeble
Research commissioned by the former Department of the Environment and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions to evaluate the Rough Sleepers Initiative has looked at the use of hostel and other temporary accommodation by rough sleepers. I refer the hon. Member to the following reports, copies of which are available from the Libraries of the House:

"The Rough Sleepers Initiative: An Evaluation", Department of the Environment, HMSO, 1993;

"From Street to Home—An evaluation of Phase 2 of the Rough Sleepers Initiative", Department of the Environment, The Stationery Office, 1996; and

"Homes for Street Homeless People—An evaluation of the Rough Sleepers Initiative", Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, 1999.
The Rough Sleepers Unit has commissioned further research to evaluate the impact of its current strategy, including the role played by hostels. The results of this work will not be available until later in 2002.