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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what special support his Department is providing to rough sleepers over the Christmas period.

The Government remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable in society. That is why since 2010 we have invested more than £500 million to prevent and tackle homelessness in England. But even one person without a home is one too many, which is why we have committed in the Spending Review to increase central investment over the next four years to £139 million for innovative programmes to prevent and reduce homelessness and rough sleeping. We are also maintaining and protecting homelessness prevention funding for local authorities, through the provisional local government finance settlement totalling £315 million by 2019/20.

Severe weather emergency provision for rough sleepers is of the utmost importance. Local authorities, with their voluntary sector partners, have arrangements in place to move rough sleepers indoors during periods of severe cold weather.