§ Ms Oona KingTo ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of Tower Hamlets' decision to use its dedicated homelessness strategy funding to pay Cash Incentive Scheme grants to registered social landlords' tenants to relinquish their tenancy and buy a property on the open market. [158550]
§ Yvette CooperThe Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is aware that Tower Hamlets has been paying grants to social housing tenants to enable them to purchase a property in the private sector. Such grants can be an effective way of releasing social housing to provide accommodation for homeless households and so relieve pressures on temporary accommodation and help to meet the Government's target to end the use of bed and breakfast accommodation for families with children. In 2003–04 Tower Hamlets plans to use £300,000 for such grants, out of a total allocation from the Homelessness Directorate of £876,000. Other plans for use of the homelessness grant included: increasing the supply of temporary accommodation in the private sector; employment of additional staff to increase the homelessness prevention service; and establishing a homelessness forum.