Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top Excerpts

Monday 1st February 2016 Lords Chamber

[Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon]

My noble friend raises an important issue in relation to housing and the need for more effective social housing. The challenge for all of us across the country, not just for central government but for local government as well, is to ensure good-quality, affordable housing for all. We all want to see the eradication of street sleeping.

[Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top (Lab)]

My Lords, does the Minister understand that one of the big problems out there is the very steep rise in rough sleeping? There are not enough beds, either hostel beds or other sorts of beds such as detox beds, for them to go into. There has been an unprecedented rise since before 1997 in the number of people sleeping rough on our streets, which is giving local authorities and others massive problems. What will the Government do about it?