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

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, which local authorities charge homeless people for the return of confiscated items.

MHCLG does not collect any statistics about which local authorities charge homeless people for the return of confiscated items. This is for local authorities to determine, subject to section 211 of the Housing Act 1996.

However, the Government is working to support better practise through the implementation of the Rough Sleeping Initiative. This year, Rough Sleeping Initiative investment totals £46 million and has been allocated to 246 areas – providing funding for an estimated 750 additional staff and over 2,600 bed spaces. MHCLG are working closely with local authorities through the Rough Sleeping Initiative to support people off the street.

This Government is committed to reducing homelessness and rough sleeping. No one should ever have to sleep rough. That is why last summer we published the cross-government Rough Sleeping Strategy which sets out an ambitious £100 million package to help people who sleep rough now, but also puts in place the structures that will end rough sleeping once and for all. The Government has now committed over £1.2 billion to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping over the spending review period.