§ The Minister of State, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker)I am pleased to announce that the Government's new homelessness strategySustainable Communities: Settled Homes; Changing Lives has been launched.
Settled Homes; Changing Lives follows on from our five-year plans, Homes for All and People, Places and Prosperity. It builds on our achievements to date in tackling the worst forms of homelessness. This has resulted in meeting challenging targets to significantly reduce rough sleeping since 1998 and put an end to the scandal of homeless families having to raise their children for long periods in cramped bed-and-breakfast hotels. It also sets out our plans for reducing homelessness further and halving the use of temporary accommodation by 2010.
I have placed copies of our strategy for tackling homelessness in both House Libraries. The Government response to the ODPM Select Committee report on homelessness will be laid before Parliament today. Both documents are also available on the ODPM's website at www.odpm.gov.uk/stellent/groups/ odpm_ control/documents/contentservertemplate/ odpm_index.hcst?n = 865&1 = 2.