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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect of plans for rough sleeping to become grounds for refusal or cancellation of permission to be in the UK on engagement of vulnerable individuals with local authority services to provide (a) accommodation and subsistence support and (b) support to prevent transmission of covid-19; and if he will make a statement.

The Government has made clear that the new rough sleeping rule will apply on a discretionary basis where a person refuses offers of support and is engaged in persistent anti-social behaviour. The provision will be used only where individuals refuse to engage with the range of support mechanisms available.

The ongoing ‘Everyone In’ campaign is helping to protect thousands of lives during the pandemic. By November, we had supported around 33,000 people, with nearly 10,000 in emergency accommodation and over 23,000 already moved into longer-term accommodation.

We continue to support rough sleepers during the pandemic. In November, we rolled out the ‘Protect Programme’ - the next step in the ongoing targeted support to protect some of the most vulnerable people in our communities from COVID-19. All councils were asked to update their rough sleeping plans and to carry out a rapid assessment of need for everyone they accommodate and to consider interventions for those new to rough sleeping.

In addition, on 8 January, we announced extra support to help protect rough sleepers from the effects of COVID-19. Backed by an additional £10 million in funding, all councils in England have been asked to redouble their efforts to help accommodate those currently sleeping rough, wherever possible, and ensure they are registered with a GP. In due course, this will assist with the roll out of vaccinations, in line with the priority groups outlined by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. Councils will also be asked to reach out again to those who have previously refused help, given rising infection rates and the colder winter months.