Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many former prisoners who have had support via the resettlement plan were (a) sleeping rough, (b) other homeless and (c) in unsettled accommodation after (i) four, (ii) 12 and (iii) 26 weeks in each year since introduction of Community Rehabilitation Companies.

This information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

It is vital that everyone leaving prison has somewhere safe, stable and secure to live. Overcoming the many barriers offenders face to securing suitable accommodation is something that Ministry of Justice cannot do in isolation.

The Secretary of State for Justice and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government are both members of the cross-Government Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Taskforce and the Reducing Reoffending Board. Homelessness of ex-offenders is a key issue that is discussed at these meetings.

Through this work, we are investing up to £6.4m in a joint pilot scheme to support individuals released from three prisons, namely Bristol, Leeds and Pentonville. We have now launched our Invitation to Tender, to secure suppliers in the three pilot areas. This is a concrete step in our commitment to tackling rough sleeping.