Welfare Reform Bill

Simon Hughes Excerpts

Monday 13th June 2011 Commons Chamber

[Maria Miller]

My hon. Friend makes an important point, which has been raised with me on a couple of occasions. I remind her that currently there is no additional allocation of housing for families with foster children. There is an accrual within the payments that are made to cover additional housing costs. However, she makes the important point that, whatever our housing policies, we should not disincentivise or put unnecessary barriers in the way of foster carers who do so much to give children who cannot live with their own families the sort of start in life that they need.

[Simon Hughes (Bermondsey and Old Southwark) (LD)]

Does the review—or any of the reviews—include the further point about which the Secretary of State said he wanted to be helpful—ensuring that there is a possibility that broad market rental areas become more coterminous with local authorities? Will the review cover where people might move to, so that they are not obliged to move out of their natural communities, which in most cases in London would be the local authority area where they currently live?

[Maria Miller]

I thank my right hon. Friend for that comment. I am not aware that the research will cover that at this time, but perhaps I could consider that in more detail. He has raised that point in the past.