Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kris Hopkins and Diana Johnson

Monday 30th June 2014 Commons Chamber

[Diana Johnson (Kingston upon Hull North) (Lab)]

Does the Secretary of State agree with his housing Minister, who said on “Panorama” last week that it is “perfectly legitimate” for landlords not to give tenancies to people who are claiming benefits?

[Kris Hopkins]

May I clarify what I said? It is not appropriate for a landlord to remove somebody just because they are on housing benefit, but an individual can make a commercial choice about who they want to live in their accommodation. It seems that the Labour party, in its forthcoming manifesto, will prescribe who can live in an individual’s house. A private investor who has purchased a house should have the opportunity to choose who lives in that house.

Oral Answers to Questions

Debate between Kris Hopkins and Diana Johnson

Monday 20th January 2014 Commons Chamber

[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.