Rough Sleeping and Good Growth Funds

Debate between Sarah Pochin and Florence Eshalomi

Monday 26th October 2026 Commons Chamber

[Florence Eshalomi]

My hon. Friend has asked me to visit her constituency and, diary permitting, I will look at that. She is right: many people who are sleeping rough and experiencing homelessness face a number of complex challenges and needs which, in some cases, fall to very stretched mental health provision and substance misuse services across the country. We want to continue that vital partnership work with colleagues and the NHS to ensure that those local services are helping people by providing the right pathway of support before they are housed.

[Sarah Pochin (Runcorn and Helsby) (Reform)]

While the Minister’s statement is laudable, it seems that her Department is working against the Ministry of Justice by moving in what is clearly a different direction. May I point out that when prisoners—dangerous criminals—are released early on to our streets with no fixed abode, they cannot be tagged? If they are sleeping rough, they cannot be tagged. Will the Minister make it a priority to house those criminals, those early-release prisoners, so that the public can be protected?

[Florence Eshalomi]

I will take that back to colleagues in the MOJ, but we cannot force anybody into housing. We have to assess people on an individual basis.