Oral Answers to Questions

Ruth Cadbury Excerpts

Monday 30th October 2017 Commons Chamber

[Mr Gavin Shuker (Luton South) (Lab/Co-op)]

4. What recent estimate he has made of the number of children in temporary accommodation.

[Ruth Cadbury (Brentford and Isleworth) (Lab)]

13. What recent estimate he has made of the number of children in temporary accommodation.

[Sarah Jones (Croydon Central) (Lab)]

17. What recent estimate he has made of the number of children in temporary accommodation.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mr Jones]

The number of children in temporary accommodation is below its peak in 2006, but we are certainly not complacent. That is why we have put £402 million into the flexible homelessness support grant over the next two years so that local areas can plan strategically to reduce the number of people in temporary accommodation.

[Ruth Cadbury]

Three and a half billion pounds has been spent on temporary accommodation in the private sector in the past five years. Most of the cost of this is found from the Department for Work and Pensions, even for households that work. Would this money not be better spent on building and letting council homes whose rent would be less than half that of expensive, poor-quality, temporary accommodation?