Oral Answers to Questions

Rosena Allin-Khan Excerpts

Wednesday 4th March 2026 Commons Chamber

[The Prime Minister]

This Labour Government are changing the planning regulations so that we can get on and build the homes we need across our country. The Conservatives’ failure was the failure to do so. But I must applaud the hon. Gentleman, because at least he has had the decency to accept some of the failures of the last Government. On special educational needs and disabilities, he said:

“my Government didn’t do enough on this.”

and, “it’s awful.”

He said his party

“should hang our heads in shame”.

He is absolutely right about that.

[Dr Rosena Allin-Khan (Tooting) (Lab)]

Q7.  The suitability and financing of temporary accommodation needs addressing urgently. Children arriving on my shifts in A&E with breathing problems due to mouldy rooms in their temporary accommodation has become a grim reality. Since 2019, 74 homeless children have died due to the conditions of their temporary accommodation. Meanwhile, councils face a huge funding black hole of £4 billion if the Government subsidy remains frozen. Every death is a tragedy, so does the Prime Minister agree that an urgent review is necessary to investigate the financial shortfall and to help guarantee safe homes for every child in the country who is in temporary accommodation?

[The Prime Minister]

I thank my hon. Friend for her question. We inherited an appalling situation, with a record number of households in temporary accommodation. Every child deserves a safe and secure home. We are investing £950 million in the local authority housing fund to increase the supply of quality accommodation. We are banning section 21 no-fault evictions, introducing a new stronger decent homes standard and investing £39 billion to deliver the homes that families need.