Homelessness: Rough Sleepers in London

Lord Bishop of Hereford Excerpts

Tuesday 30th October 2012 Lords Chamber

[Baroness Hanham]

My Lords, the noble Lord may know that my department initiated an across-department ministerial working group, which is concentrating on all aspects of homelessness, including rough sleeping. It has been very effective in finding ways of ensuring that the problems that the noble Lord raises are dealt with.

[The Lord Bishop of Hereford]

Does the Minister care to say whether Her Majesty's Government are likely to take up the suggestion made by the Royal Institute of British Architects in its report published four days ago that local authority pension funds might contribute to the cost of affordable housing and so address the issue of homelessness by that route? If the Government are not mindful to take up that suggestion, will they find funding by some other route so as to increase the provision of genuinely affordable housing?

[Baroness Hanham]

My Lords, the Government have taken a number of initiatives over the past couple of years to ensure that affordable housing is provided. The question of whether pension funds can be used for this is not something that I can address today. That would be, I think, a matter for each individual pension fund and I am not sure whether local government pension funds would be entitled to do that. If I can find the answer for the right reverend Prelate, I will do so, but I do not have a brief on that today.