Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance his Department provides to local authorities and their partners on responding to rough sleeping in town centres, including engagement with local businesses, and on meeting safeguarding and homelessness prevention duties.

Through our National Plan to End Homelessness, the government has committed to developing an Outreach Toolkit, alongside a Single Homelessness and Complex Needs Toolkit. Together these will provide advice on designing and delivering services, including on effective outreach, accommodation pathways including the role of housing-led solutions, including Housing First, and enforcement.

These toolkits will build on the support available to local authorities through my Department’s team of expert advisers and guidance published through gov.uk here. This includes specific guidance on safeguarding, which you can find here.