Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Marcus Jones and Lord Hanson of Flint

Monday 24th October 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr David Hanson (Delyn) (Lab)]

13. What assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on homelessness of the decision to cap housing benefit for supported accommodation at local housing allowance rates.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Mr Marcus Jones)]

The Government are committed to protecting the vulnerable, including homeless people. That is why we deferred the implementation of the local housing allowance rates for supported housing until April 2019. From then on, we will provide a new funding model to meet additional housing costs above the local housing allowance rates.

[Mr Hanson]

That is all very well, but the chief executive of the National Housing Federation has already stated:

“We want to put supported housing on a secure and sustainable footing for the long term and we are not confident that the new system will guarantee this.”

What is wrong with that point of view?

[Mr Jones]

I have met the chief executive of the National Housing Federation and discussed this issue with him at some length. We are giving confidence to the sector that funding will be devolved to local authorities, and that that funding will be ring-fenced. Save for the changes to social rent increases, the quantum of funding to the sector will be the same. The chief executive seemed reasonably reassured on that point.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Marcus Jones and Lord Hanson of Flint

Monday 18th July 2016 Commons Chamber

[Mr Jones]

We are aware that the Select Committee is due to publish its report shortly. Although we have not yet had sight of the report, I am keen to see the Committee’s recommendations and how it can help shape our programme of work. We want to ensure that local authorities have the tools that they need to put prevention absolutely at the heart of tackling homelessness. Good data and measurement are vital for that prevention, and that is why we are currently looking at how the data are collected and used to support prevention, so that we can find those at risk of becoming homeless far earlier than we do at present.

[Mr David Hanson (Delyn) (Lab)]

9. What assessment he has made of the effect of the outcome of the EU referendum on house building.