Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Heather Wheeler and Eleanor Smith

Monday 22nd January 2018 Commons Chamber

[Eleanor Smith (Wolverhampton South West) (Lab)]

22. What assessment he has made of trends in the number of homeless people sleeping rough between 2010 and 2016.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Mrs Heather Wheeler)]

There are too many people sleeping rough and I am determined to do more. That is why the rough sleeping and homelessness reduction taskforce will deliver a cross-Government strategy to tackle this issue, with the help of an expert advisory panel.

--- Later in debate ---

[Mrs Wheeler]

I like truths across the whole UK. The interesting issue will be the amount of money and the packages that we can put in place to spread funding for affordable housing across the nation. That is something that we are determined to do.

[Eleanor Smith]

In Wolverhampton, the estimated number of rough sleepers has doubled since 2010. What plans do the Government have to decrease the number of rough sleepers, because their current plan is certainly not working?

[Mrs Wheeler]

The interesting thing about the Wolverhampton area is that it is part of the west midlands, so we are working very hard with Mayor Andy Street, who will be joining me on the rough sleeping strategy panel. I look forward to our first meeting on 1 February.