Oral Answers to Questions

John McDonnell Excerpts

Tuesday 13th September 2011 Commons Chamber

[Mr Blunt]

Of course, anyone who is going to deliver payment by results would be crazy not to engage the voluntary and charitable sector as part of their delivery mechanism. Some of those charities will not have the resources to be able to underwrite payment-by-results schemes, but the prime provider would be mad not to engage those services.

[John McDonnell (Hayes and Harlington) (Lab)]

The Government are currently consulting on the criminalisation of squatting. Has the Secretary of State seen the report “The Hidden Truth about Homelessness”, produced by the housing charity Crisis, which reveals that 39% of vulnerable homeless people have at some stage resorted to squatting to find a roof over their heads, and has he made an assessment of how the proposals he is putting forward will affect homeless people?

[Mr Blunt]

The consultation will end on 5 October, and I will of course be looking at all the reports and responses to it, including the one from Crisis.