Oral Answers to Questions Debate

Full Debate: Read Full Debate

Oral Answers to Questions

Andrew Love Excerpts
Monday 30th June 2014

(9 years, 10 months ago)

Commons Chamber
Read Full debate Read Hansard Text
Kris Hopkins Portrait Kris Hopkins
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

The hon. Gentleman is right. A total of 323 households were found to be homeless but not in priority need—just over a quarter of the peak figure of 1,276 in 2005. That is a disgraceful figure, and I agree that we do not want to be in this position. Over £12 billion-worth of investment through Crisis is helping single homeless people, and in Rochdale this has supported a successful Bond Board scheme that has helped 125 single homeless people. I respect the hon. Gentleman and would like to work with him to try to solve some of those issues in Rochdale. I look forward to receiving a note from him about this.

Andrew Love Portrait Mr Andrew Love (Edmonton) (Lab/Co-op)
- Hansard - -

The number of families with children living in bed-and-breakfast accommodation is at a 10-year high, with all the consequences for the education, health and well-being of the children concerned. Does the Minister think that that is a creditable record on homelessness since the Government came to power in 2010?

Kris Hopkins Portrait Kris Hopkins
- Hansard - - - Excerpts

Homelessness overall is currently down by 7%; I am not sure where the hon. Gentleman has got his figures from. The number of families in temporary accommodation—bed and breakfast—has dropped by 37% in the past year. That is a direct consequence of this Government’s intervention to make sure that vulnerable families, in particular, are not in the position they were in under his party’s Administration.