§ Chris RuaneTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many families were living in bed and breakfast accommodation, broken down by(a) constituency and (b) local authority. [44715]
§ Ms Keeble[holding answer 21 March 2002]: Available information reported by local authorities in England on the number of households accommodated in bed and breakfast hotels under statutory homelessness provisions on 31 December 2001, has been placed in the Libraries of the House. Information is collected at local authority level only.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently announced a new commitment to ensure that by March 2004 no family with children will be placed in bed and breakfast other than in an emergency. This was accompanied by changes in housing benefit subsidies to make leasing self-contained temporary accommodation more cost effective, and an additional £35 million from DTLR to help local authorities find alternatives to bed and breakfast.