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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many families with children living in bed and breakfast accommodation have been so accommodated for more than six weeks; and how many families with children live in bed and breakfast accommodation in (a) each parliamentary constituency in the East Midlands and (b) England.

Latest published statistics show that 2,570 families with children were in bed and breakfast style accommodation in England as at 31 March 2015. Of these households, 920 had been in bed and breakfast style accommodation for more than six weeks (50 of which were pending review).

The statistics are not compiled on the basis of parliamentary constituencies.

The law is clear that bed and breakfast accommodation should be used to house homeless families only in an emergency, and then for no longer than six weeks. Practice varies significantly across the country with just 5% of councils accounting for 80% of the total number of families stuck in these unacceptable conditions for more than 6 weeks. We provided funding in 2013-14 so that authorities could develop innovative and sustainable approaches to tackle this issue.