Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what specific steps her Department is taking to help reduce homelessness among (a) LGBT+ people, (b) women, (c) black and other ethnic minority communities and (d) young people.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On his first day in office, the Prime Minister launched an urgent national drive to end rough sleeping. We have announced £442 million new funding to support this ambition, taking the total investment in homelessness and rough sleeping services over the next three years to over £4 billion. Local authorities are best placed to understand and respond to local need, and this flexible funding can be used to design services that meet the needs of LGBT+ people, women, black and other ethnic minority communities and young people. We are clear that housing authorities must be mindful of the Equality Act 2010 and their public sector equality duties towards people who have a protected characteristic.
The Government recognises that some groups of people, including women, young people, LGBT+ people and people from ethnic minority backgrounds can face barriers to support. Through the National Plan to End Homelessness and A Local Plan to End Homelessness, we are clear that services need to be designed to meet their needs.
The department recently published a new chapter of the Homelessness Code of Guidance on young people, which is available at Chapter 22: Young people, including those with care experience - Guidance - GOV.UK and we are developing a new youth homelessness tool kit to support local authorities to prevent young people from experiencing homelessness and rough sleeping.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the efficacy of Housing First programmes piloted in England and whether she will support their national roll out.
Answered by Florence Eshalomi - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Housing First Pilots evaluation found that a year after entering Housing First, the majority of clients were living in long-term largely social rented accommodation. 84% were living in long-term accommodation at the point of the six-month interview and this rose to 92% after a year. This shows that, done well, this type of accommodation can be effective at resolving and preventing rough sleeping.
As part of the new Rough Sleeping Programme, local authorities and Mayoral Strategic authorities should deliver housing with wraparound support that is suitable for people who have experienced long-term rough sleeping and may experience multiple disadvantage. Local areas will have the flexibility to design both the support and accommodation delivered. This may include, but is not limited to, a Housing First approach, which evidence has shown can transform the lives of people with complex needs.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the impact of the Shared Accommodation Rate on under 35s to a) avoid homelessness and b) move on from homelessness.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum financial support available for renters claiming either Universal Credit or Housing Benefit in the private rented sector and the level of LHA is based on the number of bedrooms a household needs and the area in which they live. LHA rates are not intended to meet all rents in all areas.
In 2024 LHA rates were increased to the 30th percentile of local market rents costing an additional £7 billion over 5 years.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions reviews LHA rates annually, including the Shared Accommodation Rate. Decisions consider a range of factors such as market rents across Great Britain, poverty impacts and other government priorities.
The causes of homelessness are both personal and structural, and there is no single welfare or housing policy that can significantly reduce homelessness on its own. DWP continues to work closely with MHCLG to make sure interactions with homelessness are considered.
For under 35s that have experienced homelessness there is an exemption from the shared accommodation rate of LHA. Those who are exempt can claim the higher one-bedroom rate of LHA.
Renters receiving housing support who face a shortfall in meeting their rent costs can apply for a Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment from local authorities in England.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has made a recent assessment of the adequacy of Local Housing Allowance in preventing homelessness among Universal Credit claimants in London.
Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) (Equalities)
The Local Housing Allowance (LHA) determines the maximum financial support available for renters claiming either Universal Credit or Housing Benefit in the private rented sector and the level of LHA is based on the number of bedrooms a household needs and the area in which they live. LHA rates are not intended to meet all rents in all areas.
In 2024 LHA rates were increased to the 30th percentile of local market rents costing an additional £7 billion over 5 years.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions reviews LHA rates annually, including the Shared Accommodation Rate. Decisions consider a range of factors such as market rents across Great Britain, poverty impacts and other government priorities.
The causes of homelessness are both personal and structural, and there is no single welfare or housing policy that can significantly reduce homelessness on its own. DWP continues to work closely with MHCLG to make sure interactions with homelessness are considered.
For under 35s that have experienced homelessness there is an exemption from the shared accommodation rate of LHA. Those who are exempt can claim the higher one-bedroom rate of LHA.
Renters receiving housing support who face a shortfall in meeting their rent costs can apply for a Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment from local authorities in England.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps is he taking to support victims of domestic violence through the family courts process.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
We are committed to ensuring that victims of domestic abuse get the support they need throughout family court proceedings. The family court has a range of powers to protect victims. This includes the provision of special measures, the power to appoint an appropriately qualified person to undertake cross-examination instead of a perpetrator, and where repeated applications may be a continuing form of abuse the court can make order requiring a perpetrator to obtain the permission of the court before making a further application.
Alongside these existing protections we are rolling out the Child Focused Model nationally, which embeds referrals to local, specialist domestic abuse support services where domestic abuse is raised as an issue in the case. An Independent Domestic Violence Advisor delivers specialist support to victims, undertakes a risk assessment, and offers the court expert insights into the risks of domestic abuse in the case. This supports a holistic assessment of needs and risks and enables the court to make safe decisions without delay.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps he is taking to ensure family courts are empowered to prevent direct contact between a child and a domestic violence perpetrator.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
The Government is committed to ensuring that the family justice system fully supports survivors of domestic abuse and delivers the right outcomes for them.
Section 1 of the Children Act 1989 (‘the Act’) makes clear that the child’s welfare must be the court’s paramount consideration when making any decision about their upbringing, including making decisions about contact.
The courts are already empowered to restrict or prevent contact through orders, for example a Child Arrangements Order, where this would be in the child’s best interest and protect their safety and wellbeing.
The Government is also going one step further by repealing the presumption of parental involvement from the Act through the Courts and Tribunals Bill. This step will ensure the child’s wellbeing and safety remains at the heart of the court’s decision-making: https://bills.parliament.uk/bills/4083
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps has he taken to ensure judges in family courts, dealing with cases involving allegations of rape and sexual abuse, have received specialist, mandatory and up-to-date trauma-informed training.
Answered by Jake Richards - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)
To preserve judicial independence, statutory responsibility for the training of the courts’ judiciary in England and Wales rests with the Lady Chief Justice and is delivered through the Judicial College.
Domestic abuse in all its forms, including sexual abuse, is embedded as a central theme in training for family judges. Training is regularly reviewed and updated to ensure it continues to be effective and reflects the latest developments in law, practice and procedure.
The College adopts an overall trauma-informed approach which aims to equip judges to recognise and understand the effects of trauma, support safe and effective participation and avoid unnecessary re-traumatisation. All new judges complete a cross-jurisdiction induction which has a central focus on trauma-informed practice. The College is also developing a new foundation module to support enhanced understanding of the effects of trauma on presentation, behaviour and memory.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to publish further information about the UK Resettlement Scheme; and if she will set out whether refugees will be able to refer themselves to the scheme online.
Answered by Anna Turley - Minister of State (Home Office)
As announced by the Home Secretary on 28 September, the Home Office has started receiving new referrals for the United Kingdom Resettlement Scheme in 2026/27.
The UKRS does not operate through direct applications, and individuals are unable to apply online. Instead, refugees are identified and referred through established referral processes by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the Internation Refugee Assistance Project for displaced Palestinians, based on their vulnerability and protection needs.
The UKRS is an established scheme, which has operated since 2021. Further UKRS Policy guidance can be found online: Resettlement.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has assessed the adequacy of the number of Band 5 physiotherapist posts in the NHS relative to the number of physiotherapy graduates each year.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The requested data is not centrally held. On the wider issues raised, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 1 June to Question 1389.
Asked by: Rosena Allin-Khan (Labour - Tooting)
Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many Band 5 physiotherapist posts were vacant in NHS trusts in England on the most recent date for which figures are available.
Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
The requested data is not centrally held. On the wider issues raised, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer provided on 1 June to Question 1389.