Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many of the prisoners released in the first two tranches of the early release scheme were released into homelessness or rough sleeping.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)
The Ministry of Justice routinely publishes Official Statistics on prisoners released into homelessness or rough sleeping and on total prisoner releases, as part of the annual Offender Accommodation Outcomes publication and the Offender Management Statistics Quarterly publication respectively.
The requested information forms a subset of the data underpinning total release statistics and homelessness/rough sleeping statistics intended for future publication and, therefore, cannot be disclosed.
Prison leavers at risk of homelessness can also be supported through the Community Accommodation Service (CAS3), which provides up to 12 weeks of transitional accommodation and support to help people stabilise on release and move towards settled housing. HMPPS also employs 50 Strategic Housing Specialists across England and Wales to help reduce homelessness on release and strengthen local accommodation pathways.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking with Ministerial colleagues to ensure that the 2027-28 Better Care Fund policy framework supports the development of specialist intermediate care services for people experiencing homelessness as outlined in the National Plan to End Homelessness.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care recognises the importance of ensuring people experiencing homelessness have access to appropriate health and social care services. We are working across government to deliver the Prime Minister’s commitment to end rough sleeping, with an immediate focus on ensuring everyone sleeping rough has an offer of support off the streets by Christmas. This sits alongside our wider work to join up health, housing and care services around the individual, helping people access the support they need.
In December 2025, the Government published the National Plan to End Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, setting out a clear, cross-Government approach to prevent homelessness and tackle rough sleeping over the long term. The plan includes a Government commitment that no one eligible for homelessness assistance is discharged to the street after a hospital stay. It recognises that discharge into insecure or unsuitable housing, including rough sleeping, is harmful to people’s health and wellbeing, and costly to services.
To support this, we have, jointly with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, published guidance on discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, which is available at the following link:
As well as this, every acute hospital has access to a multidisciplinary care transfer hub to manage the discharge of people with more complex needs. These teams work together to plan a person’s discharge, so their health and care needs as well as housing situation are all considered, and the right support is in place when they leave hospital.
The Better Care Fund supports integrated care boards and local authorities to jointly plan and fund services including intermediate care, rehabilitation and reablement.
We are considering options for the future development of the Better Care Fund from 2027/28 as part of wider work to strengthen adult social care and integrated health services. This remains a live area of policy development and decisions on future arrangements, including specialist intermediate care for people experiencing homelessness, are yet to be finalised.
We are developing a new cross-Government mental health strategy for England, to be published later this year. The strategy will take a broad approach to improving mental wellbeing and supporting people with mental-ill health, including where there is co-occurrence with other conditions. It will emphasise addressing disparities in mental health, from access to services to experiences and outcomes.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the upcoming Mental Health Strategy addresses people with illness, such as people experiencing homelessness.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care recognises the importance of ensuring people experiencing homelessness have access to appropriate health and social care services. We are working across government to deliver the Prime Minister’s commitment to end rough sleeping, with an immediate focus on ensuring everyone sleeping rough has an offer of support off the streets by Christmas. This sits alongside our wider work to join up health, housing and care services around the individual, helping people access the support they need.
In December 2025, the Government published the National Plan to End Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, setting out a clear, cross-Government approach to prevent homelessness and tackle rough sleeping over the long term. The plan includes a Government commitment that no one eligible for homelessness assistance is discharged to the street after a hospital stay. It recognises that discharge into insecure or unsuitable housing, including rough sleeping, is harmful to people’s health and wellbeing, and costly to services.
To support this, we have, jointly with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, published guidance on discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, which is available at the following link:
As well as this, every acute hospital has access to a multidisciplinary care transfer hub to manage the discharge of people with more complex needs. These teams work together to plan a person’s discharge, so their health and care needs as well as housing situation are all considered, and the right support is in place when they leave hospital.
The Better Care Fund supports integrated care boards and local authorities to jointly plan and fund services including intermediate care, rehabilitation and reablement.
We are considering options for the future development of the Better Care Fund from 2027/28 as part of wider work to strengthen adult social care and integrated health services. This remains a live area of policy development and decisions on future arrangements, including specialist intermediate care for people experiencing homelessness, are yet to be finalised.
We are developing a new cross-Government mental health strategy for England, to be published later this year. The strategy will take a broad approach to improving mental wellbeing and supporting people with mental-ill health, including where there is co-occurrence with other conditions. It will emphasise addressing disparities in mental health, from access to services to experiences and outcomes.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent progress her Department has made on ensuring that no one eligible for homelessness assistance is discharged to the street after a hospital stay.
Answered by Diana Johnson - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The Department of Health and Social Care recognises the importance of ensuring people experiencing homelessness have access to appropriate health and social care services. We are working across government to deliver the Prime Minister’s commitment to end rough sleeping, with an immediate focus on ensuring everyone sleeping rough has an offer of support off the streets by Christmas. This sits alongside our wider work to join up health, housing and care services around the individual, helping people access the support they need.
In December 2025, the Government published the National Plan to End Homelessness and Rough Sleeping, setting out a clear, cross-Government approach to prevent homelessness and tackle rough sleeping over the long term. The plan includes a Government commitment that no one eligible for homelessness assistance is discharged to the street after a hospital stay. It recognises that discharge into insecure or unsuitable housing, including rough sleeping, is harmful to people’s health and wellbeing, and costly to services.
To support this, we have, jointly with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, published guidance on discharging people at risk of or experiencing homelessness, which is available at the following link:
As well as this, every acute hospital has access to a multidisciplinary care transfer hub to manage the discharge of people with more complex needs. These teams work together to plan a person’s discharge, so their health and care needs as well as housing situation are all considered, and the right support is in place when they leave hospital.
The Better Care Fund supports integrated care boards and local authorities to jointly plan and fund services including intermediate care, rehabilitation and reablement.
We are considering options for the future development of the Better Care Fund from 2027/28 as part of wider work to strengthen adult social care and integrated health services. This remains a live area of policy development and decisions on future arrangements, including specialist intermediate care for people experiencing homelessness, are yet to be finalised.
We are developing a new cross-Government mental health strategy for England, to be published later this year. The strategy will take a broad approach to improving mental wellbeing and supporting people with mental-ill health, including where there is co-occurrence with other conditions. It will emphasise addressing disparities in mental health, from access to services to experiences and outcomes.
Asked by: Alex Easton (Independent - North Down)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the Armed Forces Covenant is being fully implemented in Northern Ireland; whether veterans and former service personnel living in Northern Ireland receive the same rights, protections and entitlements as those in the rest of the United Kingdom, particularly in relation to social housing, homelessness assistance, healthcare, education and welfare support; and what steps he is taking to ensure that veterans in Northern Ireland are not disadvantaged in accessing the support and services available to veterans elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
Answered by Calvin Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans and People)
The Armed Forces Covenant applies across the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, while responsibility for many relevant services is devolved. Provision may be delivered differently across the UK, but the Government’s objective is that the Armed Forces community, which includes veterans, should not face disadvantage because of their service.
To strengthen these protections, the Government is extending the Armed Forces Covenant Legal Duty through the Armed Forces Bill 2026, requiring the Northern Ireland Executive (NIE) and relevant public bodies to have due regard to Covenant principles across areas including housing, health, education, training and social security. The MOD will continue to work closely with the NIE on implementation.
This Government is committed to ensuring veterans can access the support they need wherever they live in the UK. In Northern Ireland, the MOD’s Office for Veterans’ Affairs has established a local presence to strategically coordinate support for veterans’ wellbeing. This will soon be strengthened by the new VALOUR programme’s Field Officers who will work with local organisations to improve access to services and deliver support that meets local needs.
Local veterans and their families can access support through the Veterans' Welfare Service Northern Ireland, including physiotherapy and psychological therapies. Those facing homelessness can also access the UK-wide Op FORTITUDE housing pathway. In addition, the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust funds health and wellbeing programmes, including Thrive Together and the Defence Medical Welfare Service pilot.
Northern Ireland’s first Veterans Commissioner was appointed in 2020 to champion veterans' interests. Appointed in January 2025 as the second Northern Ireland Veterans Commissioner, David Johnstone promotes awareness of issues affecting local veterans, including health, housing, employment and legacy matters.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the support available to Homes for Ukraine hosts where sponsorship arrangements continue for substantially longer than originally anticipated.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government greatly appreciates the continued generosity of sponsors/hosts supporting Ukrainian guests.
Sponsors/hosts of Homes for Ukraine guests are eligible for a thank you payment of £350 a month for the duration of a guests’ Homes for Ukraine visa period and for 18-months of the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme visa period.
The extension of thank you payments for 18-months of UPE provides time for guests and sponsors/hosts to plan for next steps, including securing independent accommodation if needed. Alternatively sponsors/hosts and guests may want to consider converting to a lodging arrangement and making use of the Government’s Rent a Room scheme. Where sponsors/hosts charge rent, they will not be eligible to receive a thank you payment.
Councils receive a tariff of £5,900 per Homes for Ukraine arrival in their area to support guests to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities. We publish funding allocation data each quarter, which is broken down by local authority on gov.uk here.
Councils have the flexibility to use the funding to support guests, sponsors and hosts as best suits the local area. This could include measures to support guests to access employment, English language provision and provide integration measures that support Ukrainians to access private rented accommodation.
As councils remain responsible for fulfilling their statutory homelessness and welfare duties to all residents, they are the primary point of support where accommodation or wider assistance is required, and are funded accordingly.
We continue to engage closely with councils and the voluntary and community sector to ensure that we understand the needs of Ukrainians living in the UK and that adequate support is available.
Our Homes for Ukraine Equality Impact Assessment was updated to reflect MHCLG policy changes. Potential environmental and all other impacts of the policy were also considered.
Asked by: Anna Gelderd (Labour - South East Cornwall)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what support is available to hosts participating in the Homes for Ukraine scheme no longer able to accommodate Ukrainian guests due to (a) age, (b) ill health and (c) changes in personal circumstances.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Government greatly appreciates the continued generosity of sponsors/hosts supporting Ukrainian guests.
Sponsors/hosts of Homes for Ukraine guests are eligible for a thank you payment of £350 a month for the duration of a guests’ Homes for Ukraine visa period and for 18-months of the Ukraine Permission Extension (UPE) scheme visa period.
The extension of thank you payments for 18-months of UPE provides time for guests and sponsors/hosts to plan for next steps, including securing independent accommodation if needed. Alternatively sponsors/hosts and guests may want to consider converting to a lodging arrangement and making use of the Government’s Rent a Room scheme. Where sponsors/hosts charge rent, they will not be eligible to receive a thank you payment.
Councils receive a tariff of £5,900 per Homes for Ukraine arrival in their area to support guests to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into communities. We publish funding allocation data each quarter, which is broken down by local authority on gov.uk here.
Councils have the flexibility to use the funding to support guests, sponsors and hosts as best suits the local area. This could include measures to support guests to access employment, English language provision and provide integration measures that support Ukrainians to access private rented accommodation.
As councils remain responsible for fulfilling their statutory homelessness and welfare duties to all residents, they are the primary point of support where accommodation or wider assistance is required, and are funded accordingly.
We continue to engage closely with councils and the voluntary and community sector to ensure that we understand the needs of Ukrainians living in the UK and that adequate support is available.
Our Homes for Ukraine Equality Impact Assessment was updated to reflect MHCLG policy changes. Potential environmental and all other impacts of the policy were also considered.
Asked by: Gideon Amos (Liberal Democrat - Taunton and Wellington)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she plans to issue guidance to local authorities on accommodating people with support dogs in temporary accommodation.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Local authorities must ensure that temporary accommodation is suitable for applicants and members of their household, taking account of their needs, requirements, circumstances and the location of the accommodation.
The statutory Homelessness Code of Guidance encourages housing authorities to give careful consideration to applicants who wish to retain their pets, which may include support dogs who are used for companionship, and local authorities should do their upmost to try and accommodate this. However, not all types of temporary or emergency accommodation are suitable for pets, as there may be limited facilities and space available.
Whilst some accommodation may not be suitable for pets, alternative suitable accommodation should be sought for applicants with guide dogs and assistance dogs as local authorities should be mindful of how their policies and decisions affect people who are protected under the Equality Act 2010.
Asked by: Bob Blackman (Conservative - Harrow East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she has taken to consult with local authorities on the potential impact of the decision to not uprate Local Housing Allowance since 2024 on the ability of local authorities to relieve homelessness.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Poverty, housing availability and affordability are the root causes of homelessness and rough sleeping. The National Plan to End Homelessness acknowledges that many people on low incomes struggle to afford rising rents in the private rental market and recognises some private renters need support with their rent.
The Department of Work and Pensions Secretary of State reviews Local Housing Allowance rates annually. For those who require further financial support with housing costs, Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) Housing Payments in England and Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) in Scotland and Wales may be available from local authorities.
My Department regularly speaks to local authorities to understand homelessness pressures, including as a result of Local Housing Allowance rates.
Asked by: Paula Barker (Labour - Liverpool Wavertree)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she has taken to consult with local authorities on the impact of the decision to not uprate Local Housing Allowance since 2024 on the ability of local authorities to relieve homelessness.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Poverty, housing availability and affordability are the root causes of homelessness and rough sleeping. The National Plan to End Homelessness acknowledges that many people on low incomes struggle to afford rising rents in the private rental market and recognises some private renters need support with their rent.
The Department of Work and Pensions Secretary of State reviews Local Housing Allowance rates annually. For those who require further financial support with housing costs, Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) Housing Payments in England and Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) in Scotland and Wales may be available from local authorities.
My Department regularly speaks to local authorities to understand homelessness pressures, including as a result of Local Housing Allowance rates.