Children: Temporary Accommodation

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top Excerpts

Monday 11th November 2013 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Stowell of Beeston]

I am grateful to my noble friend. As I have just said, Ministers are working very hard with local authorities to ensure that those families who are housed in bed-and-breakfast accommodation are not housed there for longer than six weeks. Yes, data will be collected and I am sure that I will be able to provide more information to my noble friend, but I emphasise the huge amount of effort that is being made in this area to minimise any of the effects on children.

[Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Lab)]

My Lords, does the Minister really think that bed-and-breakfast accommodation is ever suitable for children?

[Baroness Stowell of Beeston]

What would be absolutely and totally unacceptable would be for any child to have no roof whatever over their head. If a child is at serious risk and the only option available to a local authority in an emergency is bed-and-breakfast accommodation, then, as long as it is for the barest minimum time possible, that is preferable to no accommodation whatever. However, clearly it should be for the very minimum amount of time.