Diana Johnson
Main Page: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North and Cottingham)(10 years, 11 months ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text
Kris Hopkins
As a former squaddie, I think this Government can be very proud of what we have done, whether it is the Help to Buy scheme, the covenant, or making sure that members of our armed forces who have been away from home still have a high priority on waiting lists. That message has gone out to local councils, and they need to adhere to the policy to support members of the armed forces who live in my hon. Friend’s constituency and in many others.
Diana Johnson (Kingston upon Hull North) (Lab)
16. What estimate he has made of the number of families with children who were placed in bed and breakfast accommodation for longer than the statutory maximum six-week period since 2010.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Kris Hopkins)
Keeping families with children in bed-and-breakfast accommodation for more than six weeks is unacceptable and unlawful. We challenged local authorities to grip the problem and gave them an extra £2 million to help in that process.
Diana Johnson
Today, BBC Radio Humberside reports increasing numbers of families being evicted in Hull. Soaring homelessness under this coalition has seen an 800% increase in families staying in bed-and-breakfast accommodation beyond the six-week statutory limit. What is the Minister going to do about it?
Kris Hopkins
I am sure that everybody in this House wants to address homelessness, and this Government have committed some £470 million to doing so. Some 53,000 people are currently rated homeless compared with 133,000 people at the high point under the Labour Government. According to the most recent figures that I have, no household with children has been in a B and B for more than six weeks in Kingston upon Hull.