§ Linda PerhamTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to relieve homelessness in the London Borough of Redbridge. [111746]
§ Mrs. RocheThe Homelessness Directorates report More than a roof sets out specific measures to tackle homelessness backed up by a £125 million investment in 2002–03 and £260 million over the following three years.
The Homelessness Directorate has allocated funding to the London Borough of Redbridge which consists of:
(a) £426,245 in 2002–03 and a further £260,000 for 2003–04 to help them reduce the number of homeless families with children in bed and breakfast hotels (B&B) and meet the national commitment of ensuring that by March 2004, no homeless family with children is placed in B&B other than in an emergency and even then for no more than six weeks.
(b) £32,000 in 2002–03 to develop homeless services and £32,000 in 2003–04 to help them support a voluntary sector provider to carry out a mediation and reconciliation service to prevent homelessness amongst young people, and to provide a floating support and tenancy sustainment service for those to whom a homelessness duty is accepted where prevention is not possible. This aims to prevent a re-occurrence of homelessness and rough sleeping.
In relation to the number of people sleeping rough, figures show that over the past few years Redbridge has maintained a very low number of no more than five people sleeping rough on any one night.