Homelessness: Rough Sleepers in London

Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top Excerpts

Tuesday 30th October 2012 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hanham]

My Lords, the Government have taken a number of initiatives over the past couple of years to ensure that affordable housing is provided. The question of whether pension funds can be used for this is not something that I can address today. That would be, I think, a matter for each individual pension fund and I am not sure whether local government pension funds would be entitled to do that. If I can find the answer for the right reverend Prelate, I will do so, but I do not have a brief on that today.

[Baroness Armstrong of Hill Top]

My Lords, I want to assure myself and other noble Lords that the Minister is not complacent about this issue. The numbers of rough sleepers not just in London but throughout the country have risen substantially in the past year. We know that many of them now have mental health issues. The challenge of getting mental health services for rough sleepers is enormous, as I know only too well from trying to do so for rough sleepers around the north-east. For example, in Durham city, we have for the first time seven rough sleepers where we have never had them before. Are the Government tackling this urgently and are they going to commit to making sure that we end rough sleeping?

[Baroness Hanham]

My Lords, I can absolutely assure the noble Baroness that there is no complacency. This is a very unhappy situation for those who are sleeping rough and it is an unacceptable situation for the country in which we live. Perhaps that will answer the first part of the question. The second part of the question referred to those with mental health problems. It is fair to say that particularly in London, which is where the Question refers to, 43% of rough sleepers have mental health problems. Within that, of course, are hidden alcohol needs and drug needs. Services are already available to deal with those problems. Westminster has a mental health team. There are specialists to assess those conditions and to deal with them. But there is no complacency.