Oral Answers to Questions

David Burrowes Excerpts

Monday 6th June 2016 Commons Chamber

[Brandon Lewis]

I gently say to the right hon. Gentleman that Howard Sinclair, the chief executive of St Mungo’s Broadway, has said:

“This is a sensible and reasoned decision by the government”.

The chief executive of YMCA England has said that the Government

“has taken appropriate action to protect supported housing.”

We have decided to delay things for a year while we work with the sector to make sure we have a good and well-protected sector in future.

[Mr David Burrowes (Enfield, Southgate) (Con)]

I welcome the Government’s review of supported housing and their commitment to preventing homelessness, both financially in the autumn statement and Budget, and in a likely statutory duty to prevent homelessness. Does that progress not fly in the face of putting a local housing allowance cap on supported housing, which in effect would pull the rug from under very vulnerable tenants who the Government are supporting at the moment?

[Brandon Lewis]

My hon. Friend rightly points out that the spending review put in £400 million of funding to deliver 8,000 new specialist affordable homes. As I said, the delay of a year is to work with the sector, and the review that we have commissioned jointly with the Department for Work and Pensions will be published shortly. We have made it clear from the beginning that we will ensure that the most vulnerable people are protected and supported through all the reforms.